Stupid Sisters, Prophecies, and First Borns
by Felicity Hartington
Summary: The swinging sword came at me, the cold ancient voice echoed through my soul, "You are the first born...YOU MUST DIE!" I dodged another blow, but Jason threw me my sword. I'm also adding Romace to the catagories, but you can only have two listed.
1. Chapter 1

_**Stupid Sisters, Prophecies, and First Borns**_

Norika and I had grown up in San Francisco, our father unknown. Both of us now sixteen and living on the streets, was not a very good time for us. We both had a golden string around our necks; they were both mysteries of what they were. But we had a problem, every corner we turned we were surrounded by creatures, that could only exist in nightmares. Just the other night Norika and I had faced a life threatening monster with the sharpest teeth, but we had slaughtered it with the fastest way we only knew. By sword, we were different we both knew we were. Our swords were gifts that had dropped at our feet, our ADHD was a problem. We were different…very different. Never had schooling since we were both ten, but we both knew we were much smarter then the children that were kept in those dungeons they called a school.

Where our story begins is in a small village on the shore of the Great Mediterranean Sea, East of the small brook where two creeks joined, to form the great gurgling brook, called Thilo's Point. This particular village was called, Gorge. Gorge inhabited a small amount of people, approximately around 1,000. But this one night the birth of a duo of children was born, a boy named after the river, Thilo and a girl named Norika. The two were identical except for their gender. Thilo grew into a wise and strong boy; he became great friends with the great hero, Perseus. The god, Jupiter was so enthralled by his amazing knowledge that he made him a right handed seat of his favored humans. Norika on the other hand became a beautiful girl; she was the Maid of the Sea as some called her, for her eyes shined like the light of a light blue reef. Finally one day the children's mother perished, but Jupiter was secretly the father of these two amazing children, cried so heavily that night that the god, Neptune created a tsunami so large with the god's tears that it destroyed the children's village. The children themselves died along with the village…or so it seemed.

Thilo and Norika escaped to the shore that following morning, Jupiter and Neptune both thinking they were dead, the waves unsteady. But both children knew if they tried to escape they would be punished by Neptune's wrath if they stepped onto the green ocean. So the children walked all the way till they reached the edge of the continent. They sailed slowly across the ocean, but Neptune could sense them, he watched them. Almost killing them most times, but they always managed to escape. Thilo, the leader of the two protected Norika, and in return Norika managed to calm Neptune to some extent. But then they reached the unknown land, where the tongue of the people was a foreign language. They found a spot where they could finally rest; as they rested a god by the name of Pluto found them.

He tapped a scroll his voice full of power and a dark ancient anger,

"You owe, your uncle the death he wanted. Or you must pay the way I made the other children of your father suffer." His eyes flickered from Thilo to Norika, but they finally landed on Thilo. "You could actually serve me well… I will spare you only because you have sparked my interest. I have a deal that I am willing to make to you. You give me the soul of your pretty sister, and then you can live forever." Thilo became enraged and pierced the god in the heart with his sword.

"You will never take my sister, or her soul." The god, sat up dazed but healed his heart within a second, and then eyed Thilo and Norika.

"Fine you sign this contract, I'll let you both live forever. If you do one thing for me, when you both find love you will do one thing for me. Give me, the first born child. That is all I ask, kill them and give it to me." Thilo and Norika thought… They had never wanted children, but they were willing to give one up for the god. They nodded and both signed the contract, so Thilo and Norika both had children. And every year for the next three millenniums they gave their first born children to Pluto. He let them live until Thilo was struck down by Jupiter, for his irritation to the other gods, and Norika was poisoned by Venus, for bragging about her beauty.

My name is Thilo Leige and this is my sister, Norika. We are the last descendants of Thilo and Norika, the last survivors of Tsunami of Gorge. This now is _our_ story…

The morning was hot and dry like the air of dragon's breath, (and that, is very hot!). Norika snores close to me; I smell the air of cleaning solution, and a man cleaning the tall glass building next to our makeshift camp. I get up quickly we don't have much time, daylight is bad for us it tries to kill us some how or another. Pluto has always had a vendetta against our family. I gave Norika a hard shove, she yelped and leaped up at the ready, sword in hand. But she saw that it was only me. She snarled under her breath,

"You!" She leaped up at me and tackled me to the ground, I and rolled her to the side, then pointed my sword at her. She yelped, and I smirked. Then started to walk down the sunny ally way. She was pissed, I could tell. "Thilo just you wait till we get to shoreline then I'll show you, Neptune is in love with me. It's that simple." Always has been conceited by her beauty, I roll my eyes, didn't she know that was how Grandma was killed? I crept around the deserted corner, the outskirts of San Francisco were so empty on weekdays, mainly for the reason because it was a bar corner. Four bars surrounded us; lately we had been catching glimpses of drunken clients. Norika darted after me, like a highly skilled ninja.

We skirted along the empty streets till our stomachs grew to a famished state. I ushered Norika along, until we finally came to a small fast food place, McDonalds. A woman was screaming in a Spanish tone at underage boy who appeared. The boy was carrying a large bag of trash; he headed for the dumpster, and then dropped it in. I slunk after him, Norika taking her beauty by storm and walking straight into the restaurant. I grabbed a few half eaten hamburgers, a little bit of water left in a cup. Then sat down for breakfast, Norika returned with a bowl of salad.

"My breakfast is better." She muttered, I shot her a look. But Norika ignored me, her mouth chewed in a round motion with her green lettuce. I was disgusted by my sister's eating habits, she was a vegan. But yet she had fine muscled arms and the toned legs of a model. Her blond hair tied into a fierce ponytail. She froze in her eating, and I heard what she had heard. A loud, _**BOOM! **_As force of habit, my hand went to my bronze sword. I turned and saw the cement cracking, then it unleashed thick sand, it looked a lot like human flesh. As the creature formed, my mind instantly went into battle mode. I arched my arm just right, so it was facing the now towering monster. It was forming into a large abnormal giant. He was made of sand, and I could tell from the necklace around his neck his mother was Tellus. He roared, Norika moved to my side abandoning her salad.

"You take the back, I'll get the front." She ceased shortly after that, I watched her for a millisecond, and then leaped into action. I thought of weaknesses, and strengths. Tellus's children usually made of dirt were unparalleled to water. But here was the problem, Neptune hated us. I had to think fast, destruction facing me, my sister's fate depending on what move I made. I got the sudden idea, and I knew what I was going to do. I ran to the back of the McDonalds, and then grabbed the fire hose. I spun the wheel and quickly shot down the monster, Norika snatching the heart. Then squeezing it tightly, she shrunk it down to normal size. She held it up to the sky, "Take it father!" She screamed, a sizzling happened, and the heart exploded.

"Nice." I high-fived her, and we began to walk on towards the docks. We heard another crack, then a yelp. We swiveled around and saw three kids lying on the ground, their faces in the dirt. From what I could see there were two boys, and one girl. I walked over to them, and helped the girl up. From what I could see she was beautiful, her eyes flashed all different colors, brown, green, then back to blue. Her long dark brunette hair was braided; her pale skin was complementary to her eyes. The boys lifted their muddy faces from the dirt, a Mexican boy with dark eyes and a dark afro hairdo; he wore a greasy shirt, and torn jeans. The last one was like me, actually a lot of my features. Same tanned skin, same blue eyes, and same blond hair. We were identical, but our personalities couldn't have been more different.

"I'm Jason Grace, this is Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, were here to save you, by order of Chiron." I stared skeptically at the blond haired boy, my lips tipping at the corners. I then brought out my sword, at the sight both the boy, Jason and the girl, Piper brought out sharp blades. The other boy, Leo drew his hand which was now immersed in fire. "Do it. I dare ya." Jason said, his face mirroring my own mocking look. I smirked then threw my sword at him; he laughed and easily dodged it. This boy might actually be my brother. The sword flew back into my hand, as I felt its force penetrating in my hand.

"I don't need saving, and neither does my sister…wait where is she-NORIKA LIRA GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" I screamed at her, as she flirted with the darker boy. Piper fake coughed,

"Overprotected." I growled at her, and then swiped Norika around my back. So she was behind me, shielded away from both boys.

"You do though; you're the grandson of the late, Norika."

"Maybe, maybe not, so what if I am? It's none of your business. You get out of here now, and I won't murder you like I did with that monster back there." I gestured to the pile of sand they were standing by. Piper scowled at the thick pile of sandy flesh. I stuck my sword into my belt, and then turned around. "Norika, come on were leaving." But Norika stood in her frozen position,

"We need to get off the streets, Thilo. It's the only way to keep you safe, you know because your…well you know." I gave her a look that read, "I know but, it's not good to say it in front of them, so SHUT UP!" But it's pretty hard to get all that in a look. But she seemed to get it, so she closed her mouth.

"You don't have to hide it, Norika even if your brother is too thick headed to realize it. That he even may be putting you in danger." Jason said, I turned around and faced my double.

"You want to say that again? Cause' living on the streets you learn a thing or two. I'm gonna be sure you don't say that again. I'd watch your tongue." I snapped at him. I walked off, who were these idiots? They didn't know what they were getting into with me. But a voice stopped me,

"Thilo, listen to me!" A beautiful powerful voice echoed through the streets, Norika looked at me hopingly. I looked at Piper; the voice had come from her. My whole mind ached to listen to her, but I fought against it. I wouldn't, I wouldn't, do it…Thilo, come on… NO I WON'T! I faced her, then smirked, and yelled right back at her.

"I don't think so." Then walked away, Piper looked dumbfounded. They couldn't convince me, I was Thilo Leige not even Jupiter himself could have stopped me. I walked on, until my mind went black and I felt a cold dark hand on my shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, this is my new story but I'm still working on my other chapter, but this idea struck me. So I want you guys to give it a try, please before I work on chapter three I need at least five reviews. I'll take whatever you got, flamers, haters, criticism, positive remarks, like I said anything. **** Thanks-F.H **

"Young boy, you are asking for death…" The ancient voice echoed through me, my head was groggy and my mind was numb. Who was I, I didn't know… A tiny light was flying through my mind frantically trying to get me to realize who I was. But nothing was coming to me…I couldn't think of how old I was, my name, my school, my family, my favorite animal! Okay, that's sad, I can't even think of an animal… What happened to me…? Then the ancient voice spoke again, my forehead erupted in pain. "Tell me sweet hero, who is that pretty broad always with you…?" I screamed out as my body writhed with pain. My vision was blurred and I couldn't see, my arms and legs ached, like I had been running for a long time. "You know you remind me of a cute little baby that fell from Olympus, what was his name? Hercules? He was a golden boy just like you…So strong and handsome, but no brains… Why was he like that? I had always liked him the best out of all of them. But look at sweet Hercules now…he's just like you, well what your about to be. Dead. You are the first born; you must live the life of the first born."

"Let…me go!" I stammered out of my pained breathing. Then a warm welcoming feeling filled my body, I felt like I was a little baby wrapped in blankets. Then a fiercer feeling came to me, my own reality. Thilo Leige. Thilo Leige, it was a name. It was my name. I growled and forced my eyes open, pain rippled through my body. My name is Thilo Leige. I pulled my sword out and cut through the chains that held me down to a table. Men ran at me but I swiped them across their necks with one swift movement. My name is Thilo Leige. I saw a masked figure standing there, he screamed at the remainder of his followers to get me. I leapt up and gave a split in midair, socking both men in the face. I grabbed my sword, and then bounded away but the masked figure wasn't finished with me yet, he waved his hand. I flew towards him my body flinging backwards. I screamed out and felt my mind wiped clean. "Listen to me boy, you will bow to me and give me yourself, you understand." My head tilted to a downward angle, but I fought. I fought until nothing else was in me. My name…is…Thilo…Leige. I resisted, and I fell to the ground the darkness kissing my eyelids. But I battled it, my eyelids so heavy. So very heavy, but he wouldn't get me… He wouldn't…

I opened my eyes wide open and fought my weariness, and raised my self, sword in hand. Then I ran at the shadowy figure, and dug my sword deep into the black cloak. But when I pulled my sword out, nothing happened. The figure laughed, and I fell to my knees. For an inkling had started to grow in my knee and had grown to a hurricane of pain. I was now at the guy's mercy… I would fight…Fight till the death…Dad…help…me… It was my last thought.

I opened my eyes, I lay on a dock. My back hurting like someone had literally opened me open and never sown me back up. My legs and arms filled with scratches, my pain was not in the least severe as back in that dark shadowy room… I saw I was in a type of park. Twelve different beautifully sculpted, cabins lay in a ring shaped clearing. I saw farther up ahead a long wide open meadow was filled with flowers. A giant glass building lay on a soft grassy hill. A crumbled arena lay in ruins, but many children battled with bronze swords. A centaur came walking over to me with a beautiful girl, I could tell by looking at her she was a Venus. Her face was a fierce beauty filled with Russian cheek bones, and whitish blond hair curled around her face. Her pale skin was outlining her highly red lips. But her eyes were all shades of the rainbow. She spotted me and her mouth opened widely,

"Jason!" She ran at me and hugged me, but I looked at her oddly.

"No sorry, not me. But I do know the kid, your talking about. Looks a lot like me, but a lot stupider, and less attractive." I smiled, she laughed, but her colorful eyes showed sadness. The centaur, was eyeing me with interest,

"Tell me boy, you don't seem to think I'm unusual, at all." He said his tone like an echo of wisdom.

"Well I don't, its classic Roman Mythology 101, I mean come on. Who doesn't know, centaurs are real. I've always preferred to use Roman terms of things, my sister of the other hand…well she likes to call Jupiter the "Z", word." I shook my head in sadness, "No matter what I say to her, she just always argues with me… Poor Norika." The centaur scratched his chin, in a thinking mood manner, then asked me directly,

"What's your name?"

"Thilo Leige, yeah that's about it. Hey uh do you have an icepack by any chance? Cause' not to interrupt but well, I'm kind of bleeding pretty badly." I said gesturing to my leg, the centaur smiled and nodded. "Reyna why don't you take Thilo down to the informatory? He may need to be nursed some. At least by the Tor Sisters." Reyna smiled and rolled her eyes, I didn't know what he meant when he said, "Tor Sisters", but when I got to the informatory, I knew exactly what he meant. Two beautiful girls, with tan bodies, beach blond hair, and bikinis darting around the hospital. They laughed and giggled and took me in, I waved to Reyna as she laughed. I couldn't get better treatment then this; they took wash cloths and giggled insanely over my abdomen. Alright I wouldn't lie, I had an extreme pack. But it was nothing… Okay maybe it was… "Ooo, it twitches, can I kiss it?" The perky one said, "No you idiot, he wants us to wash it…" The cute one said, oh who am I kidding they were both adorable!

"Ladies, ladies, Thilo will let you do whatever you want to his babies, as long as you don't get _too_ crazy." I smiled into their innocent adorable expressions, and then they started to scream with joy. They started to wash the dirt from my face. Showering me with kisses, but I ignored them partially, because, even though I was living the dream with two very cute girls cleansing my wounds and crooning over my abdomen, I missed my sister. Norika was out there somewhere… And I intended to find her one way or another.

**-Norika-**

He was gone, for the first time in ages, my brother was actually gone. He had walked away and disappeared… I fell to the ground sobbing, he wasn't here? Where could he be? I looked frantically all over, but wherever I looked my hopes were doused. I looked at Piper, who was helping me to look. "I'm sorry Norika, he's gone. Maybe someone took him."

"That's the problem…" I sobbed, "He's the first born… He's…the one Hades wants…" My tears leaped to the pavement of Bar Corner. Piper studied me quizzically,

"What do you mean…? 'First Born'?" She asked. I looked at her through my tears.

"I can't say…That would make Hades want to kill me too."

"Wait why does Hades, want to kill him? Norika, listen to me, why does Hades want to kill Thilo?" I looked at her, her eyes looking truthful and kind, maybe she and I could be friends. I had always wanted a friend, but that meant leaving Thilo, but we couldn't. We weren't allowed, he protected me, and I protected him. It was our thing. But Piper was looking a lot like an honest kind person, but I still couldn't tell her. That meant, telling her everything about me, the story of our birth, the mistakes our ancestors made, I couldn't…not for Thilo…I couldn't. I shook my head, a small tremor running through my body. The boy Leo, who had been leaning against a nearby trashcan, came over to us.

"You know, I have a device that I've been working on. It's called the TrackerTen2011." Jason came up to him and looked at him skeptically.

"Bro', you can't be serious? You invented something that has the words, Ten-then-2011?" Leo nodded excitingly.

"Yeah dude! It tracks any demigod in the world!" Jason stopped chuckling, and looked at him. "Really?" Leo nodded, his greasy fro wiggling up and down. I laughed, he wasn't the cutest but he had character.

"That's awesome! Dude, how do you come up with this stuff? Like, can you like do some sick twisted stuff with it?"

"Yeah dude! It's epic, you should see it!" He pulled out a shiny device with an attena on top of it, and held up to Jason's face.

"Man, that's a Gameboy with a piece of wire taped to it." Jason said his face falling; Leo rolled his eyes and turned it on. Jason's eyes widened, "Just kidding! Dude, that _is_ epic, how'd you get it to do that? Wait don't tell me…Reverse engineering?" Jason asked, Leo eyes widened and he jumped up and down,

"Yeah man! You guest it right on! Yeah, but I need the full name of Thilo." He looked at me his brown eyes peering straight down to my core. I nodded,

"Thilo Misel Leige, he was named after our great uncle." Leo typed in Thilo's name. The Gameboy beeped widely, and then started to settle. Then he held it up, the sun glinting on the shiny surface. Leo smiled and nodded towards the main road. I gulped; this would be my first time without Thilo I didn't know how well I would be.

**-Thilo- **

The Tor Sisters finally let me go, and I walked out of the informatory. The Tor Sisters waving after me, I smiled at them and walked up into the glass complex, Reyna had told me to come and meet her in. I walked through the very complex hallways and towards a warmly lit room and found myself in a very pretty room. It overlooked the whole camp and onto the San Francisco harbor. I turned and looked right at a screen, many children posed in graphic scenes. One of which I noticed held one of Jason holding Reyna in his arms. I noticed that, many guys surrounded them. They looked happy for once. Well at least Jason did…

Another one was of a blond kid, but had a handsome face. Jason and I had different faces, but we both had a small resemblance. This kid had the perfect blue eyes, they were stormy and quaky. I was seeing something in him that I saw in Jason's face. Fierce. Just like the electricity that erupted over in the sky.

"Dad…" I whispered, sadness gripping my heart. He had saved me today, he had saved me from that horrible figure…I knew it was him.

"Thilo?" I looked over and saw Reyna looking at me. I realized she had a patient look that absorbed her. I smiled, and she smiled back. "I thought I heard you come in, but I wasn't sure. Anyway I just wanted to show you around. Are you up to it? We don't have to…If your still, well hurt…" Something was on her mind; I felt it in my blood.

"There's something else isn't there? Ask it, I can take it." She looked at me, her reminiscent eyes full of surprise,

"Who was he with? Was there a…"

"Girl? Yeah…" She looked down, and then sat down. She put her face in her hands. I saw her shoulders moving up and down. She was crying, oh crap I suck with crying girls. When Norika would cry about Dad or Mom, I didn't know how to take it. I walked over and patted her back awkwardly. She looked at me her eyes running with mascara. I turned away, I didn't know girls wore make up! Gods Bless! She ran at me and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing into my T-Shirt; I didn't know how to react. The only time a girl had hugged me, was my sister. But she didn't even like giving me hugs. This was weird, I didn't know if I liked it. But then there was a tiny voice inside my head giving me a small ounce of encouragement.

I wanted to keep her around me. It felt good, it felt warm. I liked it…in some way, it was nice. But that still didn't stop me from blushing. She smiled through her tears, I grabbed her a tissue off the table and gave it to her. She blew into it; I sat down next to her. I felt my blush start to simmer, as she gave the picture on the table a small acknowledgment. The centaur and a small blond girl. I noticed it was Reyna.

"What's the centaur's name?"

"Choron. He's like a father to me, raised me since the day I could crawl. My father never cared that much for me, so he gave me to Choron."

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"Reminding you of him, I think you two were a thing." She looked at me, her eyes growing angry.

"A thing! A thing! That's what you call what we had, _a thing_! Well, I might as well just say that being a half-blood is a thing! You know what we had is none of your business, it doesn't involve you. And we were much more then, _a thing_!" She screamed at me. I backed away from her, but she breathed in. Then looked at me in a contrite way, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scream at you. But I love Jason, more then anything. And the fact that people refer to us as a thing, sets me off. I miss him…so gods damn much."

"I miss my sister, you see I have this big thing that I'm part of. You see like 2,000 years ago my grandma kind of pissed off Venus. So I'm part of this big family, vendetta against me. And only me." She nodded, but then as I gazed out the window a face appeared on the glass. A ghostly looking woman, she opened her mouth and green smoke twirled around me.

"_The thing you seek is the one who is weak. _

_Seven will go, but the boy of before will woe. _

_Love will find, but will blind. _

_She will define, but you must bind. _

_A bond will be broken, a challenge will be awoken. _

_Tell the tail, and you shall succeed._"

I looked over at Reyna she still was nodding her head, I looked back at the window, the ghostly face was missing. "Did you see that?" She looked at me strangely,

"See what?" I stared out the window, I had just gotten my first prophecy…At least I think.

**So what did you think? Hate it? Love it? How did I do, and if you haven't read my other book, I might read it because the protagonist ties into it. So pay attention closely, thanks guys Thanks****-F.H **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I changed my mind, I'm not going to wait for you guys to review. I'm tired of waiting, I really like writing about Thilo, anyway…I haven't done a disclaimer yet, so here we go thanks****-F.H **

**I do not own any of Rick Riordan's characters, or any content that is presented in the book that he created. Except my own characters, Thilo and Norika. Thanks to Rick Riordan, I'm going to start writing now, thanks! **

Have you ever felt that feeling, when you're about to fall asleep, but then you feel like you're falling so you jump and your wide awake again? Well with me, that's what happens all the time… But I actually don't stop falling, I just die and a pain blossoms and I notice that a picture starts to form and dream opens.

I stand in a city, an empty blank city. Cars are stuck in place, rusty and the smell of death surrounds me. Broken monuments look like a giant child has come and trampled over the great buildings of my city. But it isn't my city it is a city with no name, it is a city that has not been answered. I am stuck in this dead place. But a soft song erupts from an empty building, I listen closely. The voice is female and beautiful for my ears are flooding with delight. But what emerges from the terrifying landscape is an angel.

A beautiful angel without wings or halo but she doesn't need those things. She gives off a wonderful aura; I want to be near to her…I am pulled into her grasp. Her long brown hair shines in the pale sunlight, it whips across her face. But her eyes…they radiantly shine. They glimmer from a distance, but their color is an unmistakable, green. But they echo my feelings, my sadness is empathy shown in her eyes. They glimmer of a long open forest that is dark and full of an empty evergreen dark color. I reach out to her…but she backs away.

Her head shakes desperately, her eyes show sorrow. I want to help her…why can't I help her! She touches my arm gently, her touch calms me.

"Listen to me, you are in danger? Do you hear me?" I look at her; my expression must have read something like: _Yeah…sure…whatever you're hot._ She rolls her eyes, "I didn't hope to do this to you." She snaps her fingers and a painful shock erupts in my head.

"What the hell!" I grasp my head, and scream out in pain. She smirks, and then helps me up.

"You must listen to me, you are the first born of the prophecy, and you know of that, do you not?" I nod, how did she know that? "Well then you must find your sister, but she is the one who cannot keep up the half of the bargain." I turn to her quickly,

"Bargain?" My eyebrow raises,

"Think back to the time of your grandma, Thilo, what couldn't she do? She spoke of the weak moment in her life, find it and you will discover what it is." I looked at her, how did she know my name?

"Who are you?" She smiled sweetly,

"You will find out soon enough." Then she disappeared, and I was awoken from my dream. I looked around and found myself on Reyna's couch, the rain splattered against the grand glass windows, the morning was still dark. The sheets stuck to my legs, I whipped back the covers, and then went to find my sword. Reyna had taken it when she said, she wanted to clean it and put it with hers. I found myself staring at the image of Reyna and Jason. She looked so happy…so very happy.

I found my belt with my sheath tied to it. I stole it off the bathroom counter, and slipped it on. I slipped through the house's door and silently shut it. As I entered the meadow the hazy mist had laid itself lightly over the flowers. I couldn't see ten feet it front of me, but then I heard it. An unmistakable cry. I ran in the direction and found a boy lying on the wet sand of the beach. His breathing was surprisingly well, but he looked like he was really beat. He had black hair, but his eyes were tightly closed. They did that rolling thing, that people have when their in a deep sleep…not that I would know that…

I saw the boy looked around my age, maybe seventeen rather sixteen. I shook him, and he woke with a jolt, his eyes were terribly crazed. I found myself backing away, me who had never been scared of anything before… The boy ran at me, his green eyes were angry and confused.

"Dude, we're friends, peace offering!" He shook his head crazily. I punched him in the face as he went for my neck. "Man, you are a scrawny little boy, your all muscle actually." He whipped to look at me, I had a feeling he wasn't the sweetest boy. "Ok what's your name? I'll ask nicely before meanly, and you don't want to know mean Thilo." The boy snarled, but I could tell in the deep sea green eyes something was saying, I don't know.

"You don't know, do you?" The boy's upper lip curled like an animal, and he shook his head fiercely. "Do you know who you are?" The boy stopped paused for a second, and then he shrugged his shoulders. But it was like a switch had been turned on, and he was Mr. Demon again. "Ok listen, settle down dude. I don't want to hurt you, but you're giving me a good reason to want to. You're endangering demigods." He pointed,

"Demigod…"

"Are you a demigod?" He nodded, but then he looked at a coming figure in the mist. I got a deep anxiety rise in my chest, and my heart collided with my breath. "Kid!" I shouted after him as he ran at the figure. I pulled my sword on him and flung it at him, the rain beat harder and a bolt of lightening came down. "Dad, shut up!" I screamed up at the lightening. Then I slammed down the kid into the mud, he conked out. Tired, obviously very tired. Then I looked harder into the mist, the figure that had become more defined and took on the shape of a person. Emerged, it was just a camper. An African American, I thought his name was Dakota.

"Whoa, dude, who is dat' kid?" I turned and looked at Dakota, I shrugged my shoulders.

"He's a demigod, doesn't know anything about himself. But he's wild, it's like he's angry about something. But he doesn't know what." Dakota nodded,

"Do you think it could be something to do with, well _Her_?" He asked, I looked at him strangely,

"_Her? _Who's _Her_?"

"Juno." He whispered, and he looked around quickly, like he was being watched.

"Why would Juno be brought into this situation?"

"Because, man, she's the-" He got cut off, as Choron strolled towards us. He nodded to Dakota; Dakota looked down in defeat and moved along. Choron gave me a friendly wave, I stared at him. Then went towards the docks, he picked up the kid, and carried him off to the glass house. Something was definitely strange about this place. The demigods were watched, and not to be trusted? I didn't know about that. I actually didn't know anything anymore.

I didn't know if I liked the fact that he was taking the kid away, I wanted him back. I found him; I should get to kick him in the balls, if that's what Choron planned to do. I turned and walked to the waters edge. My breath got caught in my throat as I saw what the kid had left behind. The whole body of water had turned a white teary color. What was he…? Was the great god, Neptune actually crying?

I took my finger and touched the water, it was warm and definitely tasted like tears. Neptune had lost something, was this his son? I felt a hand on my shoulder; I turned quickly and saw Reyna standing there. She looked innocently at me, "Do you think he is crazy?" I took her hand,

"He's not crazy, he doesn't know who the hell he is." I rubbed a scratch on my arm, and then walked away. I couldn't see the heartbroken look on her face. She wasn't for me, Jason liked this chick, a lot. I wasn't going to take that away from him. Or for a matter anyone, I wasn't meant to have a girlfriend. Well, I just didn't want one. They held you down, I was a demigod. I moved around too much. I mean, if it was another demigod I would take her for sure. But there was a problem with demigod girls, they liked to act bad ass, they weren't bad ass at all. Yeah they looked sexy with a sword, but anything else, they weren't that good at it.

"Yo, new boy!" I turned and saw Bobby; I had often seen him and Dakota hanging out a lot. "You battle, boy?" I studied him, he was very muscular rather then sixteen he looked about nineteen. His hair was a close crop, and he had deep Mexican skin.

"Yeah, so? Been living on the streets since I was ten, I think I picked up a little."

"Oh we got over here." Bobby shouted a few demigods had moved to the meadow and had started to practice battling; a group of counselors were running drills across in an open archery field. I gritted my teeth,

"You think you're funny? I'll show you funny!" I ran at him, he blocked but was a bit off guard and quickly I tripped him to the ground. I swiped around and then held my sword to his grounded neck. He looked up nervously, "You were saying?" I laughed; the Tor Sisters were some where nearby I heard their tingling little calls of joy.

"Fine, _Thilo_, that sounds like a girl's name." I smiled, then pressed my sword a little deeper into his throat, and got my voice to come to a calmed whisper.

"Say that one more time, hot shot. I'll skin you alive. Got it?" He didn't nod, but he looked at me determinedly. I released my grip on him and then walked over to a few demigods calling to me. Cody, a son of Apollo echoed my name over and over. I smiled at him; it wasn't like I felt it as a big deal. I was good at fighting, I didn't brag, but I knew. "Thilo, ohmigods! Thilo!" I saw Tina or was it Nina? I don't Tor sister #1, screamed in my ear. I smiled at her; I started to get a headache.

"Hey guys, isn't it breakfast time?" Everyone paused then nodded, they took off in one direction. I guessed the dinner hall, but a few still remained. I was caught off guard, by a see through figure glaring at me. It was Miss. AngelFace. I saw that her butt looked very round and smooth…

"Are staring at my butt?" She demanded.

"What no! Why would I be staring at your butt?" She rolled her eyes,

"Go eat, their watching you. _He_'s watching you." I looked around suspiciously,

"Who?" She pushed me, hard surprisingly for being invisible,

"Just go." I walked away, and looked over my shoulder, she was gone.

**-Norika- **

Tell me one thing that has ever killed you in the heart, not actually thrown blades at you and stabbed you, but the one thing that has emotionally affected you. You see, when you lose something so dearly important to you, you start to go crazy and start to feel like the worlds so delicate and any move you take could spin in it to its maximum velocity. You feel your heart race in your chest and you feel everything crumble around you, you can't stand or barely walk, but you move, because if you don't you're dead.

Every monument has its fall but my fall is the fact that the endless drone of Leo's device, is making us lead to no where but dead ends and nooks where random people stare at us. I sigh and lean against the brick wall of the Register, a glazed eye look comes from Piper, and her eyes widen and look to a spot above my head. I look back at her my eyebrow crunched together, "What are you staring at!" She shook her head in awe struck glory, Leo's jaw dropped to the ground, Jason's movements froze. All six eyes were on me, I looked above me, a beautiful iridescent great bolt of lightening struck above my head. The Tempestas caelum, The Symbol of Zeus.

"He…he…claimed you…In their time of silence, why does he claim you!" Leo looked at me with a great look of devotion; I shook my head in question.

"I don't know…Maybe…"

"Its…it's different then mine…" Jason stammered his eyes still hanging above my head,

"What?" Piper said her hair whipping back with her head,

"Mine was Blue…yours…" He swallowed, "Yours…is Golden." My own jaw dropped…what! What was Jason saying, his was blue, but I thought he had a memory wipe… He looked downcast, "Yours is Golden…" But then something neither of us had expected happened and the Golden bolt cascaded into a beam of light onto the sidewalk, the ground rumbled. But a small hole appeared and a golden tablet appeared in the ground as the symbol faded, I picked it up, and beheld on the small tablet was a small moving bolt of lightening, but beneath it was a figure. A girl was etched into it, her arms cast up into the air, and it seemed the lightening was bending to her will.

"What was that?" Piper asked her eyes shaded under the dome of her cupped hand. I threw her the golden piece of art, she gasped at it. "Is…is… Is that you?" I nodded ashamed; Jason looked at me like his only dream had been broken. "You reckon Annabeth would know?" Leo nodded, and Jason silently choked out a "yea…" We headed down the busy streets of San Francisco to the San Hozè Airport. We headed in and for a second I felt for sure, a large bolt of lightening had flickered across the ground. But in the blink of an eye it was gone. Who was the god who claimed to be my father…? 


	4. Chapter 4

** A/N: Hey everyone I need two girl's names. So if you could submit some, any would do. Send me through a message or in a review. Thanks****-F.H **

** -Thilo-**

"You may have escaped this time boy… But your daddy can't protect you forever. You may be his favorite son, but you are dead to me. You will be dead to the world, soon enough. That little prophecy your part of…well let's just say it can be changed. I'm sending my little messenger to you as we speak. Good luck in New York, boy!" The ancient voice snarled, and I awoke with a start, a cold sweat was around me. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. What did he mean New York; I was still in San Francisco… I didn't understand any of this, it had been three months since my coming to Grey Stone, and none of prophecy still made any sense. I looked out the window. The grey morning was calm, and the first streaks of pink were beginning to set in. I stared out at the serenest of it all. But then the girl who had been speaking to me through my dreams and visions marched across the lawn with a number of people behind her. I saw her brunette hair was elegantly flowing behind her. Jason was there too, what was he doing there? Something must be up…

As I got up and dressed, I saw that Sira, the beautiful girl, who was half Siren, half human led them through the camp. She reached the Glass Home, and went in. Everyone except a boy who stared around the waking camp for a moment, then walked in behind everyone else. I heard the distant scream downstairs and knew something was up. I wanted to talk to that girl, who kept appearing to me in my visions really badly, but it wasn't going to happen. For then I heard crying, a sob so miserable I wanted to walk downstairs and find who was, but I didn't I stayed upstairs half the day. Waiting for everyone to disperse, then Reyna came in, her face couldn't have been more angry. Her Russian accent very outlined in her words,

"He thinks he can just march in here and say he's in love with her! Ug, I knew I shouldn't have trusted him; I never should have loved him… I just wish I could have been aware that I was more in love with him then I thought! I could kill myself right now I'm so disgusted that I ever…that I ever let him touch me with those hands! Those hands that were wrapped around her! I'm so angry… Where have you been all day!" She snapped at me, I looked at her with a look of pure surprise.

"Sorry… I was uh studying my Latin, didn't know that was a crime." I lied, I knew Latin like the back of my hand. I didn't need any practice with it. I knew so much of it already; Norika on the other hand didn't stand a chance. "Since Reyna means peaceful, shouldn't you be more peaceful?" Her head whipped at me, all her white-blond hair smelled very much of strawberries. Her voice didn't have to reach me for me to know that wasn't the thing to say.

"Do you think, I meant for my name to mean that, my father named me. He was a Roman guard for a long time, now Rome's economy is so crazy he left me with Choron. So don't tell me what my name means, when it doesn't suit me!" I glanced at her, then she looked at me her voice quieting, "You want to know who they are, don't you?" I nodded, my expression must have been anxious.

"They are the Greek half-bloods, from Camp Half Blood. There are several of them, I don't like. For one there is Piper, the girl you met, I'm sure when you met Jason. Leo, the idiot boy who thinks he has the nerve to go and break down the walls around this place. Then Annabeth, this…this bitch, who thinks she knows everything. She screamed at Choron… Then there is Phoenix, who is this rather handsome god, God of Fire. Penelope, substitute for Faunus, you heard how he faded. But luckily she's doing a better job then he ever did. Grover and Rodney two stupid little fat fauns, think their something special, coming on a demigod quest." She glanced at me hoping I would agree with me, but all I could say was,

"Who's the pretty girl, long brunette hair, dark green eyes, and light skin?" Her expression reddened with anger, she slammed her fist on the table, and then turned to me.

"Figure it out yourself!" She left the room, and slammed the door behind her. But I didn't, actually I waited for two weeks, sneaking out of the Glass Home, at night to get food, I didn't want that pretty girl to know about me. I don't think she knew me; she didn't even look for me. She didn't even care. Reyna stopped talking to me, Jason didn't bother trying to find me either, at times I saw Leo and him talking over a silver device, hardly noticing me. I fell asleep in the woods one time, when I did I had a gods awful dream.

I was in a type of meadow, it was oval shaped, it was absolutely gorgeous, the grass was soft under my skin, and the flowers grew around the edges. Brunette Girl was lying like a beautiful Victoria Secret model on the grass, her head cocked and her eyes looking quite angry. She looked at me, got up and began to walk around.

"What's your name?" I blurted out. She looked at me with sudden disgust, then continued to pace. Her eyes darting every so often to a noise coming from a bird, then quietly sat down on the grass with a sudden _plop_.

"Everything that I had said to you, has made sense right?" Her eyes suddenly now looking urgent. I eyed her strangely, and then started to laugh, very hard. She rolled her eyes and a vine snaked out and grabbed my leg. "Answer the question Thilo." Her voice harsh, and very deep.

"No, sadly, for the most part I don't understand a word your saying, it doesn't make any sense to me. Why aren't you looking for me, when I see you outside my window all you do is battle and get angry, or you're staring at that Percy kid. Or that Phoenix kid. Whatever one." She went back to being angry with me, as if she had decided that she wanted to stay that way.

"Damn." She whispered, and then she looked at me once more. "I can't look for you because I don't know who you are." My mind started to fill with a million questions. "I'm the girl's you see, spirit, I can't tell you who I am, because that would be rude to the girl." I looked at her oddly,

"So she's dead?"

"No, she's not dead! Think of me as a messenger, that's what I appear to be then."

"But how can't she know?"

"Because, Zeus's magic lets me speak to you." My blood began to bubble, I hated when Dad was called Zeus, he was Jupiter. "I know you hate that name, but you have to get over it. You're not a Roman demigod; you're just as Greek as your sister."

"My sister and I are extremely different, if you haven't noticed."

"Your sister and you are very much the same; you have to get to New York. Or you could sit here and listen to Reyna rant about me, I mean anyone would want that…especially you." She laughed and then I awoke once more. Totally oblivious to the fact that the girl was sneaking right out of the house right then. I heard a scream and leapt from my bed, and ran to the window. The chick that was Percy's sister stood holding another girl. The beautiful one, the one that had rippling black hair and her green eyes that lighted up with her every breath she took. But her life was in peril, for a cut was bleeding in the middle of her stomach. I feared that she may be dead, Reyna busted up the stairs. Her hair a mangled wreck, but her iridescent eyes angered and full of rage.

"Them…" She snarled, and then pulled out her blade that was stained with blood. She looked at me and then her eyes filled with tears, and within a second I was by her side. I don't know, but she compelled me to be by her. There was something odd about her. I clutched her close to me,

"What happened?"

"She…she…she touched…HIM!" She screamed out, and then growled loudly, she looked like an enraged beautiful angel. Her hair flew back into place and flew out like a sheet behind her. Her eyes, I swear, lit a shade of scarlet. Then she stormed out of the room, I had no idea, what that meant at all. I walked out of the Glass Home, and then walked towards the end of the hall where Reyna's room was. But then decided against it, I walked out of the glass structure then towards the beach. But I caught a glimpse of the beautiful girl crying on the shoulder of Percy's sister. She was completely oblivious to the fact that I existed, and that for some reason made me insanely yearning for her. _Stop that! _I shouted inside my head, I turned away and found myself looking straight to face a beckoning faun.

My brow furrowed and I walked to him. He looked around and then, whispered in my ear, "You leave now; you can see your sister before midmorning tomorrow." I shook my head,

"I'm not leaving my friends behind." The faun looked at me like I had a disease. He snorted, and then laughed. I eyed him oddly,

"You want Hades to get you then, do you?"

"It's not Pluto that's behind these attacks, it's someone different. I know from the voice… My sword… When he attacked me the first time, I plunged my sword into him; Pluto would have crumbled to the ground, and then would have resin. This guy… He was wearing ragged clothes, and I know that is something, Pluto would never resort to, he was dead it seemed. Because I caught a glimpse of his eyes behind that mask he was wearing… It was…it… It had a cold deadened look in it… I felt myself slipping out of reality… Dude, I can't leave because of that."

"So your telling me, the son of Zeus, or excuse me, _Jupiter _you insist that your scared of a dead person. Well that goes against your prophecy doesn't it?"

"What! I already have a prophecy and it has nothing to do with going back to New York!"

"That's why genius, you have to go to New York to receive _your _prophecy."

"_My_ prophecy, what's the difference?" I began getting louder; this faun was really pissing me off.

"Hmm, oh yes that's right… You're the First Born… Hey!" He shouted to the nearest camper, I turned to him, "What are you doing?" I murmured. "Hey! Hey he's the child of the-" I slapped him, and then smiled at the kid. He just eyed me oddly, and I smiled and then covered it up,

"Yeah…I'm the child of st…stupidity. Yeah, that will work. Yeah, cause' I uh flunked my exam… Yeah, so…uh…yeah." The faun looked at me oddly, so did the half-blood, he moved on with a look of question. I sneered, and then looked back at the faun. "Look, I'm not going to leave because, it's not in my blood to. Ok, my great uncle never left my grandma my grandma didn't leave my mom's side until well she was killed. Ok, so I don't leave, alright? Got it, so stop bugging me about it, alright…this prophecy will have to wait. It's waited sixteen years, it can wait another decade."

"Wow, your sister…"

"Oh, don't you dare bring my sister into this or I swear-" I was interrupted by a scream, and I looked across the meadow and found the Roman's were lining up, Angel Face leading her small group of demigods. Percy included. "What are they doing?"

"War, simple as that…"

"War! War, your telling me war is happening? Why!"

"Why don't you ask Miss. Big Shot?" He gestured to Angel Face.

"But I don't understand why-" I heard a call, "Thilo!" I looked and saw Dakota over Reyna, I ran to her, her forehead trickled with blood. I swept her up into my arms and ran to the Glass Home, and found Choron. He took her in and then bent over the crack in her head. He took a square of ambrosia and then fed it to her. She chewed silently then swallowed; I cradled her in my arms for a second, my heart beating angrily. I hated the Greeks… I hated every last one of them. She opened her eye and saw me, her smile came first. I couldn't help myself I brought her face to mine and then kissed her forehead. She moved to my lips and we kissed, she was an animal, her lips were like an energizer, making me feel free and amazing. But something wasn't right, she was empty, there was no passion, no feeling, but just an accelerating feel. I pulled away, but she seemed to think different. She smiled up at me,

"You're an amazing kisser! Best I've ever had… I don't think I've ever felt something that powerful in a long time." I set her down, and then looked away. I couldn't look at her…not right now anyway. She wasn't for me… I slipped my sword out of my sheath and looked at it for a brief second, then slipped it back in. I touched the golden chain around my neck, it burned into my skin. I felt my head begin to burn as well; as I tried to stay conscious the burn began to sizzle into my skin. I pried open my eyes, Reyna screamed and I fell to the ground. My eyes closing and the pain overwhelming me. I was at the point of my death, or worse my enemy had finally gotten me.

**-Norika- **

I waited on the grassy hill, my skin soaking up the golden sun. I heard distant music from the Apollo cabin, and a high pitched scream coming from the Aphrodite direction. I clutched the golden tablet Zeus had given me and studied it while I tanned. A wolf whistle sounded behind me, I whipped my head around and found the Stoll Brothers checking me out. I sat up and fixed my bikini strap, as I lounged up from my pose. They whispered,

"Hey perfect!" I unleashed them a series of shocks, I heard a whimper and then they disappeared. When I had first gotten to camp, Chiron had definitely been surprised that another child of Zeus was alive. I was myself too, as I told him the story of my own blood, he sat and listened. I could really feel as if Chiron was really a fatherly figure. He nodded when I was finished and gave me an explanation that it wasn't wrong of my brother to think of himself as Roman, but it was a little abnormal that he kept insisting he was. He told me how Jason, had been the same way, how he had been conceived while Zeus was Jupiter. I guess Thilo could have been that way, but I didn't think it was possible.

As I listened to the screech of birds, the smell of strawberries wafting over to me. I felt myself go in and out of a doze. I could get used to it here, but something was nagging me… Where in the world could my brother possibly be, or as a matter of fact, both my brothers…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok well you guys didn't submit any names, so I'm guessing you just didn't come up with any. That's ok… Anyway I came up with a few, but bare with me they may not be that great. **** And if you remember my description of Will from, **_**The Daughter of the Lost God, **_**get it out of your head, I changed it. Ok that's about it. Thanks-F.H **

**-Norika- **

I sat along the beach watching the waves go in and out, the first streaks of sunrise starting to touch the dark air. Thilo and I used to sit on the San Francisco docks and watch the sunrise, but then Poseidon had to ruin it for us, always splashing us with a tidal wave, nearly sucking Thilo under the blue turquoise waves, I still remember it like it was yesterday. He finally let him go, when I dropped on my knees and begged to him, like I said before, Poseidon is in love with me. He was in love with my grandma and my mom; both of them as I heard were inspiring women. But I would never know…

But now, I sat alone, not really realizing it until I asked the question I would ask Thilo every time we watched the sunrise, "Where do you think Mom is?" He would reply with some ridiculous answer, but in the end, tell me Hades probably gave her a mansion on a hill. The thought made me feel better, knowing Mom was safe and happy, made me feel lighter about myself. But not by much…I heard far off music, very beautiful pure music. I drifted towards it a girl and a boy played in the temple of Apollo. She sang sweetly to a melody while the boy played the guitar. They didn't even see me walk in.

The girl finally stopped singing, and turned to the boy. He laughed and smiled, they saw me. The girl stopped smiling but the boy eyed me, I strode toward them. "Hi, I'm Norika. I'm a Daughter of Zeus." The girl smiled benignly, and gestured to the boy.

"We know who you are, and your not _A _Daughter of Zeus, you're, _THE _Daughter of Zeus." She gestured to the tablet that stuck out of my pants pocket. I studied her for a moment, her brown hair was pulled back into a lofty feathery pony tail, a bang stuck out and was pulled near her avatar blue eyes, (**A/N: When I say Avatar blue eyes, that means her eyes are the same color as the skin of Jake Sully and that other chick, in avatar, when their those big blue giant things****), **I nodded and rolled my eyes, she laughed, her voice was sweet and melodic. Almost like a song, her eyes glinted with happiness and rhythm. "Vernita," She struck out her hand, I shook it and smiled at her. "But I swear if you say it wrong… It's veeerrrrrr-knee-tah, got it down?" She smiled and laughed at my expression. "This is William Solace. But he prefers, _Will_. Isn't that right big brother! He's leaving camp pretty soon, better go make yourself useful in your life, or I'll know." She berated him, but I knew in her eyes she was sad he was leaving. He did look about eighteen, but he was so good looking… Really hot… with a capital H! His wavy blond hair was perfectly splashed to cross his forehead, and he wasn't one of those boys, who kept flipping hair out of their faces. His eyes shined the color of a gorgeous blue sky, much like mine. But he was a son of Apollo, could have guessed it. But something beautiful and calm was inside of him, he was like a beautiful stone so puzzling, but so very beautiful.

"Okay, Vernita, gotcha." He laughed and smiled, as he slid the guitar down to the on the ground, I saw a large white scar was down his arm. He studied me like I was a interesting book, or a fine piece of jewelry. He smiled at me calmly, like I was a storm. But then gestured to the scar, "Titan War, I'm sure you knew about that one… San Francisco probably had some major monster attacks. This one I got from battling a Karpa, stupid half-bats!" He picked up his guitar again and strummed the strings of his guitar. I remembered the horrible attacks that had happened a year ago, everything flipped out of control we lost it… We ran into a giant, he was on his way to the mountains, I managed to take him down with my only sword, but as he came down he clashed Thilo on the head with his thumb. Thilo was unconscious for seven whole days… I was worried he would never wake up. But then he did, but in that time, I had felt something I never had…fear.

"I'm sorry but, uh would you mind telling us how you survived with only that sword your whole life?" Vernita asked,

"I just did I guess… I had a kick ass twin brother. There is only one thing to be said about him, he is an amazing fighter." Vernita looked at me, her expression became thoughtful. Then she shrugged her shoulders gestured to Will, they picked up their things and were about to leave. But she turned back to me, I still stood there. She smiled,

"You coming?" I smiled, was she really asking me? Was I going to have a friend for the first time in my life? I nodded and followed after them, she seemed nice, but Will was a bit of a quiet sort, it seemed. But in his own way he seemed a bit calm at heart, and people liked him because of that. I know I did. When we reached the fields of green, where most the activities of camp were, Vernita seemed to want to go practice archery, but she stayed with me. I think she guessed I was in need of a friend. Many of the demigods all seemed to like her; an Ares boy even came up and gave her a goose grab at her butt. She slapped his hand away; I could tell the Aphrodite girl's were jealous of her. She had the most beautiful eyes, I had ever seen.

Since the time of the gods had ended for them, not answering the cries. The children wept with fear for their parents silenced mouths. I felt bad, mostly because my father, the leader of all gods had claimed me, and the rest of them had nothing. As I heard from Vernita, the Hermes cabin was filling once more with unclaimed children, since a child named Percy Jackson was missing, his father being Poseidon, the gods becoming upset with the immature relationship between Poseidon and Zeus, left there children. Never claiming them, Vernita told me also that I had been the first in months to be claimed.

Later that day, I followed Vernita to the archery course and watched her, Will, and Chiron shoot arrows, demonstrating for the younger kids. It was a blissful beautiful day, the sun shined through the white fluffy clouds. Birds chirped through the air, and songs from satyr's flutes were everywhere. I bobbed my head to the rhythm, but something was bothering me. Somewhere deep in my body something awakened, it was nagging me. Then it stirred in my stomach, and suddenly a feeling of lurching came up from it. I ran to the showers, running for the toilets, as I almost ran into a muscled girl. She shouted at me, and I found a toilet barfing my guts up. I wiped away the sticky residue from my mouth, thoroughly disgusted with myself. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder, I turned and saw Will. He smiled kindly, "I saw you take off, figured I would come and check on you."

"Thanks…I uh…I don't feel well." I smiled weakly, and my legs felt like rubber, to weak to stand. Will saw me sway; he grabbed me and steadied me.

"You ok?" I looked into his light blue eyes, and swore I saw my own reflection in them,

"I am now." He smiled; I leaned against the gritty wall of the bathroom stall and Will supporting me. But who knew that could turn into one of the most beautiful moments of my life. A stinging sensation hit my heart, the words of my brother echoed in my mind: _NORIKA GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! _For the past fifteen years, he had been so over protected. He didn't let me have a boyfriend…I looked into Will's eyes for reassurance…not this time, Thilo.

**-Thilo- **

They say Death is the worse thing that could happen to you…it isn't. Something burned in my heart; a tortured feeling and then a grieving so bad I almost fell to my knees and died. A picture flashed in front of my eyelids, a gruesome scene with Norika her head lain in an awkward angle blood leaking from her neck, her eyes wide and blank. I tried to cry out to her, but my voice was dead. A sudden shiver and the world was alarming real, I ran to my sister, but she didn't answer. Tears escaped from my eyes and fell onto her glossy blond hair; I put my head onto her stomach. I clutched her, but her weight was stiff and broken…just like my heart. It was like it had stopped beating, and my mind was lost and confused.

I felt a sharp pain in my back, and I fell to the ground. To the dirty gritty cement of my shame, and I felt Death creeping onto me, but it never came, because _she _saved me. I saw her, she whipped in vicious movements and then suddenly she stood before me. Her dark green eyes meeting my grieving ones, "Don't believe, Thilo. It is darkness…do not believe." Her voice attached itself to my soul, and a piece of me was starting to will me on. Braving me to get up and live, she grabbed my arm and helped me up. "He is evil, but she is not real." Then with a flash she was gone…

I woke to a skyline I didn't know. In a wood somewhere, the sounds and shouts of people filled my ears to a deafening point. I couldn't sit here…not with the aching pain in my back. Where was I? I couldn't open my eyes, after that bright light I had just seen. I needed help, could I call for someone? Was anyone around? Well obviously, there was shouting. Come on Thilo, just a slit…open it. I coaxed myself to strain one eye open, a dizzying feeling crept over me as I did, a flash of green interrupted my vision, it was only trees…but it seared my eyes. I quickly closed them once more.

My dream was still bothering me…what had Green Eyed Angel wanted this time? What did she mean "it is darkness…?" I didn't understand, her appearances were starting to prove to be warnings and strange sayings. But something broke my concentration, a snap of a twig.

Suddenly I was my old alert and predatorily self, I stood up. My eyes wide open and a cool breeze of summer hit my face, a boy stood in front of me. A bow was wrapped on his shoulder, and he seemed to be alarmed by my sudden appearance.

"Dude?" He asked, he looked to be a few years older then me. I was convinced his charming looks, were not a threat. My hands went for my sword anyway, "Jason?" He squinted and then opened his eyes wider. "That's not you, is it?" I shook my head, letting my guard down to a tiny degree, he knew Jason. Perhaps, he wasn't an enemy.

"Name's Thilo, what's yours?"

"Will, and is that Greek?"

"No…it's uh…it's Roman." Will stopped in his tracks, in his movements and froze.

"It's Roman?" Sadly yes…it was Greek, but I didn't like to admit my Greek heritage…I was pure Roman it was very obvious.

"Uh…yeah, it is? So, mind telling where I am?" Will smiled but slyly, he laughed and his words seemed to float in the air.

"Well, here's the deal Thilo, I can't exactly do that. You just appeared out of no where, so I gotta take you to Chiron. But if you do that, chances are he probably will indeed tell you where you are." I nodded, but very tersely. He led the way and I followed, I couldn't help but notice he reminded me of an Abercrombie and Fitch model, his skin was tan and his light blue eyes were the color of a coral reef. But his hair was highlighted with streaks of gold and brown. It was natural, I could tell but it was remarkably soft looking.

As the wood's entrance got wider and wider, I found myself on a strawberry farm. A great brown farm house rested in the middle of the type of camp, and children could be found all over. Most of them playing in an arena over by twenty small, but very unique cabins. All were made of marble, but had a different feel. Much like Camp Greystone, but this place had a warmer feel…almost totally different.

Will led me to the farmhouse, and through a long warm colored hallway. Then knocked on a door that read: **CHIRON'S OFFICE. **A squeak of wheels and then the door opened and a middle aged man with a beard answered. "Will," He smiled kindly, then turned and looked at me. His smile turned to a frown, "And who might you be?"

"I'm Thilo Leige, can you please tell me where I am?" Chiron nodded to Will, he smiled and walked out the door. Chiron then looked at me,

"Come in Thilo, we have some things to discuss." I walked in behind him; the office had a warm feeling to it. Books reached the ceiling; Greek swords and scalpels filled the shelves. In a case, was a beautifully crafted knife, it had the engraved picture of a monster with multiple heads. The_ Ekhidna_, her beauty and scales almost seemed real at the moment. "I see you like that sword, it once belonged to Hera, or should I use Juno, for your sake?"

"I prefer you would." I said quietly, he just looked irritated at me. Then continued, "You do know Juno raised the Hydra herself, she wanted Hercules dead so bad she stole it from its parents. But Hercules was too smart for her acts, and he killed the Hydra." I nodded, the Ekhidna was also known as a Hydra, but I preferred to call it that. "So Thilo, tell me who is your father?"

"We both know who that is don't we, Jupiter. Now will you please tell me where I am?" He ignored my question and asked another one, he really set my pulse going.

"Who's your mother?" I didn't want to say, but I did.

"Helen of Troy…" He nodded; unsurprised he looked out an open window then back at me.

"How?" Was all he asked, and then I knew he wanted the full story. The whole thing, of how my mother…was this beautiful woman. How she was almost four thousand years old and had lived this long? He wanted to know everything…

"You truly want to know? It's a long story, and if I tell you…will you tell me where I am?" He thought for a minute,

"If that is all the questions I have…" He looked at me, and I gazed back, brown eyes boring into blue. It was as if a battle was going on between us, but that fact was, nothing was getting killed but time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Tell me, Thilo. How is your mother, Helen?" I stared out the same window; Chiron had a few minutes go. The sky was a bright blue, I was silent then my lips parted and the story tumbled out.

"In the late centuries of B.C, my mother was born. She was the daughter of Jupiter…as much as that grosses me out, because her mother, Norika was also a daughter of Jupiter. So anyway, since there really is no knowing how Helen was conceived, I'll tell you myself. Jupiter met up with my grandma, my grandma being wanted dead by Neptune, turned into a swan by the help of Jupiter, and in turn Jupiter himself turned into a swan. Norika conceived five eggs, the first one…well it uh…" I stopped I didn't want to tell Chiron what happened to the first egg so I lied, "It didn't hatch, the second egg contained Castor, the first brother of Helen, the third egg was Pollux, the fourth egg was Clytemnestra Helen's sister, and the last was my mother, Helen. Even though all the children were beautiful, Helen was the most beautiful. Jupiter favored her, and Clytemnestra was very jealous that her father held favor towards her sister.

"A year later, Norika still trying to raise four children gave her children to Tyndareus, the Spartan king. He raised all of them, Castor and Pollux became two well fit boys they liked playing pranks on the villagers of Sparta. Clytemnestra became a smart bright woman, with a horrible disliking for Helen. As Helen grew older, Tyndareus felt that it was time for Helen to get married. Helen had many guys that liked her; I mean who wouldn't want her? She was crazy in bed…and she had an abundant beauty." Chiron laughed at my comment, I smiled myself but continued on,

"Pollux and Castor had a competition, whoever could please my mother the best, Tyndareus would hand her over. So one of the men, Odysseus, didn't bring a gift, because even though he was insanely handsome he felt he had no chance. Tyndareus noticed this and questioned him, Odysseus made a deal with my "step-grandfather", I guess you could say, he said that if he helped him court with this insanely beautiful woman he was in love with, he in turn would reunite all the guys who liked Helen to protect her and the guy Tyndareus chose for Helen. And so the king was overjoyed by this, because previously Tyndareus was fearful for his life and Helen's, because he thought that if he chose one man, all the others would rage and try to kill him.

"And so, Menelaus was chosen with the honor of having my mother as a bride. But my mother…well she was a bit of a slut…don't tell Jupiter I said that, cause' he loved my mom, like a lot. So anyway, Helen left Menelaus when this really handsome guy named, Paris came along. Menelaus was away at this time, and when he got back to Sparta, since he was now ruling, he found that Helen was gone. Thinking she had been abducted, Menelaus sent like the whole lot of guys that had tried to marry Helen in the first place after them, since they were still on Odysseus's oath. They found Paris and Helen smooching in a run down castle in Troia, and that Chiron, is how the Trojan War started. Don't believe what Homer wrote because he was dead wrong. Helen was mean and vicious; she killed and hurt everyone she crossed. Then one night Helen disguised herself and snuck into a Greek camp, she was mad at them for killing her beloved Paris. But she ended up meeting Achilles, it was I guess what you could call love at first sight.

"No one knows that Achilles was in love with Helen, because she never told him her real name. She went under the name of Elena, like in that one stupid show, the Vampire Diaries," Chiron's face winced,

"That show is horrible! I'm so mad she keeps choosing Damon, Stefan's the better one for her!" I rolled my eyes, had no idea Chiron liked the Vampire Diaries…awkward?

"Well anyway, Achilles went off to fighting one day, and Helen was left alone in his tent. But she was tired now of being Achilles wife, she wanted to see her beloved Troy again. Helen liked to entertain herself with the pain and hostility of others, so she called upon Jupiter, instantly he was at her side. She begged him to give her a child; the king of the gods was delighted this beautiful woman had chosen him. This is kind of what I mean disgusting because; Helen was his daughter…so yeah. Well anyway, they say Helen never had any children, but she did. Two…twins, Helen was gifted with immortality, and she met up with Achilles and said she had slept with another man. Achilles was heart broken, and tried to kill himself, but the gods didn't want him to and spared his life.

"Helen on the other hand, laughed at Achilles failed attempts and had her children. She ran away from him, but it is believed that for a short time Achilles held the boy of her children hostage, teaching him skills, but also mourning over his loss of Helen. It was his last gift to her, and four almost four thousand years after Achilles, Helen walked the Earth. Hiding in shadows, and living on the last of her immortality. Some say Helen visited Troy and found Achilles, he had married another woman, Helen was heart broken and wandered the Earth aimlessly, finally almost four thousand years later, five years ago…the great Helen of Troy killed herself. Her immortality wore off and she left the children to fend for themselves. Their immortality also wore off with their mother's death. They were only ten when it happened; not knowing what to do the children traveled and found San Francisco where they lived." I finished my story, Chiron sat back in his wheel chair.

"I taught Achilles, I taught him everything he knew about fighting. You stayed with him, huh?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm so good at fighting."

"Well, you answered my question and a deal's a deal, this place is Camp Half Blood. It's where children much like you, half god half human go and stay, to train and fight. It's also extremely safe…well except for the woods. That's where we keep the monsters, but I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine. If you were trained by Achilles, well…" He trailed off then realization hit him,

"Where were you, before here?"

"San Francisco, I told you that." Annoyance creeping into my bloodstream,

"No my boy, not that…I meant where were you? You seem to like using Roman god names, and reference to Roman names of monsters. Where did you come from? For example the children here use Greek names, you use Roman's. My dear boy this is crucial, where did you go…any name come to mind?"

"Oh you mean…the Roman camp?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, excitement entering his eyes.

"Camp GreyStone, it's off the coast of the San Francisco Bay Harbor, under the Golden Gate Bridge." Chiron smiled then popped out of his wheel chair, his horse body caught me off guard and I jumped. He laughed,

"Thilo, I have to go tell my cabin leaders where the Roman Camp is located, can I trust you'll be alright by yourself. Oh and by the way…your sister, Norika she lives here, Cabin One. She's been waiting for you." Chiron cantered off, my mouth dropped open. At first my brain just accepted it, _Norika's here. _Then it actually registered it, _NORIKA'S HERE! _I leaped out of my seat and ran out the farm house door; I found the cabins without any problem and found _her. _She sat on a marble bed, a blanket wrapped around her feet, she was reading.

"Norika!" Happiness spawned inside of me, she looked up and surprise and delight covered her face.

"Thilo!" She screamed, and ran to me. I picked her up and swung her around, her blond glossy hair was spread around her shoulders, she looked so happy. But nothing could compare to my own happiness, my heart was beating in good time ricocheting off the walls of my chest. How I missed her so… "I missed you, so much." She said from inside my collar bone.

"I missed you too, little sis. But look at me," She glanced at me, her face was tear stained and her smile reached her eyes, they were lit up with merriness. "I said I would never stop looking for you. But I got a load of crap to tell you. You ready?"

"So do I, sit down." She gestured to the marble engraved bed, I sat down next to her, I pulled my arm around her and we swapped stories. I went first telling her about the shadowy figure that had tried to kill me, but how it wasn't Pluto because his voice had an edge on it that I knew it couldn't have been him. Then I described to her Camp GreyStone, about Choron and his creepy indecisive manner, but I also told her about Reyna. About her beauty, about her kiss with me, I told her how I had battled so many, and how I had found the kid with sea green eyes on the shore of the beach. But I left out Green Eyed Angel, because she was special to me… I didn't know why, but she was…it was almost that I wanted her to mine and only mine…

In return Norika told me of her stay at Camp Half Blood, she learned many new training techniques. I smiled at her with pride, she was my sister, this beautiful gorgeous girl _was _my sister. She continued on ignoring my smile, and told me of her treatment, the boys obviously fawning over her. Obviously who wouldn't? Sometimes, I questioned myself…why did she have to be my sister? Why couldn't she just be some pretty obnoxious girl I met on the street? She told me of the lovely Vernita…who by the words of Norika's description, I couldn't wait to meet. Then she told me about Will, she was little secretive it seemed about him. But I didn't push it; I didn't always want to seem like a bad guy. But her last statement caught me off guard, she had been claimed…and Jupiter…he had given her a tablet.

We sat in silence just for a moment then she turned to me, "When you left, Thilo I thought that I would never see you again. I-I lost control of what I was doing sometimes, I missed you so much at times…I felt like I could just die. I don't want you to get mad, but this was the tablet." She handed me the golden tablet, it was small and looked about the size of a USB stick. Forged onto it was a girl holding what appeared to be lightening, her hair swayed in a strong wind. Even though the scene was so small, the effect was humongous. Holding it in my hands almost gave me a weird painful tingling like…like it didn't want me holding it.

I quickly handed it back to Norika, we lapsed into silence once again. "Norika," She looked at me, "I felt my chain burn…" Norika whipped her head around at my words.

"This chain?" Her fingers cautiously touched the golden chain around her neck.

"Yeah, I think it's supposed to help us some how… I can't think of anything though. I mean, it burned into my skin and then in sent me here. So…I don't know, what do you think?" Her expression was puzzled, her perfect pointed eyebrows pinned together.

"I think it's meant to send us somewhere, maybe it's too early to know right now. That's what I think, but who gave them to us? Did Mom ever say anything? Was it Zeus?" Norika didn't know about Achilles, I didn't get around to telling her and neither did Mom. I don't think she would be able to deal with it, she was already crushed with the fact Dad was ignoring the other campers.

"I don't know… Honestly, I always felt it was someone much smarter, like maybe Minerva." I corrected her with the Roman use of the god, trying not to take it to mind since we just found each other like; I looked at my watch…seven minutes ago, oh wait, eight.

"But why would Athena play into this? Why would she do this for Zeus, I mean if she wanted to, she could just cut us out of her life."

"Well… Let's look at this more logically, who does Minerva hate and would hate to see get what he wants?" We both said on cue, "Neptune," But Norika of course chimed in, "Poseidon." I continued on ignoring it once more, "Ok so Minerva wanted Neptune to get angry for not killing me. Once more, it's just another scheme for women to prove or something that their so much better then everything else on this planet." Norika gave me a face, "But it still doesn't make sense, have you ever tried to take it off?"

"No… I didn't know what would happen." She was silent, and then her hands moved to her neck. I stopped her,

"Do it to me, you mean more to me then anything else on this planet. You die…I'll fucking kill myself." She rolled her eyes and then moved to my neck, I felt her gentle hands prodding at my neck and then an electric feel came through my body as she pulled off the necklace. She handed it to me, as she did. I knew within a second something was going to happen…something bad. My hands instantly went for my sword; it glittered from the sparkling marble as I pulled it out. Norika must have sensed the same thing; she pulled out her sword too.

Within the cabin a black light appeared, and a shimmering figure with long elegant velvet black robes stepped out. His face was one I recognized, for some reason I felt like I had seen the god somewhere else… It had been my great uncle who had seen him, but for some reason I had always felt a connection to him.

"Boy," He smiled, and then his hand reached out. But my reflexes were too quick; I quickly rolled onto the marble floor, Norika doing an amazing flip over the god. She then landed next to me; her blond hair was still in its perfect shining ponytail. I stabbed the god into the back, but it wouldn't do anything. It was bronze not gold. The god laughed, "You think you can do that! Well the second you take off that necklace boy, I can see you. Your little sister, now she's quite pretty," and with the snap of his fingers she was on the floor, odd green vines wrapped around her feet and hands, "we wouldn't want her to get hurt, would we? Now listen to me you cocky, selfish, boy, I don't want your blood smeared upon my hands. Not today anyway, some other time, but before the sun is setting on the last day of fall, a job must be completed. Today I come on the grounds of my idiot brother."

"Don't talk about my dad that way!" I yelled sinking the sword down deeper into his flesh.

"Will you stop that!" He flung the sword away with a flick of his hand, I hadn't noticed it but the sun was gone from the sky and the camp was silent. Even the warmness of the day was gone. "I came here to ask you to complete this prophecy… It is one your great uncle failed to complete, and you just might meet impossible on it. You don't do it boy, you want to know what happens?"

End of the world, I'm guessing? OR it could be that I get my head brutally chopped off…how about it Uncle? I thought sarcastically.

"This pretty little girl, gets this ripped out." He tapped her soft pale flesh right above her heart. "You wouldn't want that to happen would you?" He grinned, but it was unnerving and chilled my bone, and it also made me feel a bit like the sun was gone forever.

"You couldn't…you wouldn't…she hasn't done anything! Pluto, she's not even the first born!" I yelled, it echoed through the silence. He laughed, and then smiled unnervingly again.

"Would I?" His midnight dark eyes twinkled then he walked to the edge of the cabin gazing out into the grey light of the day. He turned back to me and pulled out of a fold in his cloak a golden piece of parchment. It was intertwined with golden lettering; I reached out and held out a shaking hand. He placed it into my hand, "Complete it boy, before the autumn equinox, or you might just have the death of this pretty little girl to think about." He snapped his fingers and he and Norika were gone. I cried out and screamed, pain reaching my heart.

"HE TOOK HER!" I screamed throwing myself against a wall; apparently I made a lot of noise. A girl poked her head in; a fluffy ponytail ran out of a blue hair tie, her electric blue eyes met mine. She cocked her head, and then smiled.

"You must be the famous Thilo…I've heard good things about you. Now, where would you like to start, you could make a flirty joke and I could laugh really loud _or_, you could say I look lovely with my new ripped jean shorts. Either one would do." She smiled, but that only made me even angrier, because even though her eyes were beautiful and I wanted to meet her, I couldn't. A flame had lit its way into my chest and needed to be let out.

"Vernita please leave." She looked at me with irritated eyes, annoyance seeping into her electric look. "I-I heard a noise, and I'm not leaving till I find out what it was." I smiled at her, but it wasn't happy…I think I actually scared myself by doing it. Then I laughed, it was cold and rocky hard. Almost like it cut through the heart tissue until it chilled the heart, and stopped it. Vernita's eyes looked frightened,

"You want to know what happened. Fine I'll tell you what happened. THAT FUCKING DICKHEAD TOOK MY SISTER! AHHHH!" I tore the beds apart crumbling the marble in my fist. I snapped the beautiful statue of Jupiter in half. My rage turning my vision a tinted red and thunder clapped across the sky. A rage so hard was burning through me I felt like I could over take Jupiter myself.

"Thilo!" She sang, and my anger sided for a minute. I turned and looked at her, "What happened? Who took Norika? Come on Thilo, I want to help too." Her voice calmed my storm and I lessened my harsh breathing, looking back at the remains of Cabin One.

"Pluto…that sick bastard…he-he-he stole her from me! Just when I got her back…" I broke down right then, tears came to my eyes and blurred my vision, I blinked…was I guy? Seriously, was I actually crying! I continued, but oddly enough my voice was thick and lumpy with sorrow, "He gave me this f'in prophecy to complete cause' my idiot great uncle couldn't do it himself." I gestured toward the golden scroll under the rubble of the bunks. She picked it up and unrolled the scroll; a shock ran through her fingers.

"Ow! Thilo," She lifted a finger to her mouth to suck the pain away, "I tink ur suupost oo reed it urself." She kicked it over to me with her toe, I laughed despite the situation.

"Thank you, Vernita." I smiled, and then picked up the scroll it glowed softly, but I could tell it was old for the corners were starting to wear and the edges around it were torn a bit. I read it to myself, and then scowled it didn't make sense.

_Touch the golden boy's head and be given life. _

_Carry the body to the grave. _

_The death will bring the light. _

_Taste the eternal potion. _

_Seek the one who died but never lived. _

_Show the son's rage. _

_King of the gods is the title. _

But I already had a damn prophecy! Gods damn you Dad! The thunder that had already been turning through the dirty grey sky, flashed with a streak of lightening. I swear I saw a face of a man.


	7. Chapter 7

"What the hell does it mean!" I exploded, Vernita touched my arm. Her touch caught me off guard, I stared down at her. She gave me a brave smile, and then patted my shoulder. She was so short compared to my tall muscular build, I felt bad about imploding in her face, and she hadn't meant anything. She was pretty brave sticking up to me when I was in one of my raging moods.

"Thilo, we obviously need help…but that sucks because Annabeth and most of the Athena cabin are gone at GreyStone. They left like…literally two minutes ago." I stamped my foot against the dirty marble, my gaze returned to her shockingly blue eyes.

"So we have to go to Athena ourselves, since she won't answer. I guess go pack your stuff, if you're coming…"

"Thilo, are you insane! We can't go to Olympus, it's ridiculous, I mean what about monsters and-and Typhian?" She shuddered when she said the giants name, "Oh yeah, and did anyone tell you about the fact that Gaia's rising!" I rolled my eyes,

"Oh really? You don't think anyone told me that? Wow, Vernita thanks for the big help!" I exclaimed sarcastically, she narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up, ok…you're not the only damn one in the whole freaking world to have a problem, Thilo! You know I got problems too, everyone's got their own bag of crap, and I got news for you, it's not just you! So get used to it!" She stormed out of the cabin, her face murderous and her voice venomous.

I sighed and started to grope around for things. I tied my golden necklace back on, keeping in mind Pluto's words: _When you take off that necklace, I can see you. _I picked up the tiny golden scroll and stuffed it into my pocket. I tried to fix the cabin a bit, putting stuff back together, but it didn't really work Jupiter's head kind of drooped off. I rolled my shoulders, and ran a hand through my long golden hair. Then rubbed a scar on the back of my arm, I went off into the near-empty camp.

It was kind of eerie the way everything just a few minutes ago had been so full of life, now it was deathly silent. I tried to ignore the creeping feeling in my stomach, then I looked around Will was packing something in his messenger bag. His face in concentration, he looked up at me gave me a dismissive nod.

"Will, where's Vernita?" He raised a golden eyebrow, and then tilted his head towards the cabin. I nodded, and then walked in the cabin. A sobbing shaking body was on a lower bunk. Beautiful musical sobs were released into the air, making a weird shiver run down my body. "Vernita, I'm leaving, are you coming or not?" She raised a pretty tear stained face,

"With you, no where…for Norika." She got up and picked up a flute and tucked it into a bag, she swung the strap over her shoulder. She walked past Will, then turned and looked him in the eyes. "I'm going to find Norika, good luck with the Romans. I love you." She said in a very quivering tone, her eyes glassy and sad. He looked at her with a face full of sympathy, and hugged her gently. Then kissed the top of her forehead, it came up to about his breast height. He gave me a scowl, I returned it, he was hitting on my sister, and he wasn't getting away with dirty looks.

"We need to get to Olympus; I'm getting to Minerva, one way or another." I growled under my breath,

"Oh really? Who died and made you king?" I swiveled around to face her,

"My great uncle, that's who." She squeezed her sculpted pink lips into a tight line of anger. I liked that look, it made me smile. Her eyes widened at my expression.

"Oh you think that's funny, then take this asshole!" She kicked me in the shin; it didn't even make me flinch.

"Vernita, you are such a killer! You could be like a serial killer or something!" I said in a rather nasty sarcastic voice, she growled in her throat. We reached the top of the gravel hill, and climbed past a dragon. It lifted its golden head and growled softly, then placed it back down into the coarse grass. The sky was now recovering from its violent storm from before and a small bright gleam of sunlight was shining through the dark grey clouds.

I started to rush on; we needed to get to Manhattan somehow. My mind thought quickly, but unfortunately that is not that quick. My mother used to say to me: Just like your dad, all beauty no brains. Bet she was laughing now, a gasp startled me. I looked down at Vernita, but she seemed shorter then usual. I crunched my eyebrows together, and then slowly turned my head down. I was floating…WHAT KIND OF JACKED UP MAGIC IS THIS CRAP! I started to thrash around, but Vernita touched my hand and I sagged.

"Stop doing that, you're just going to float higher. _And _I think we found a way to the Empire State Building." She smiled, and I gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Sure cause' you expect me to-to just soar like Superman over the city, Vernita I don't have any idea what I'm doing. How do I work it?"

"Think hard, that's all I can think of."

"Wonddeerrffuull! Vernita, had anyone told you I can't think hard, I'm stupid and thick skulled as a freaking tree."

"I don't know…I kind of already guessed, since you didn't flinch when I kicked you. It's the body's natural response to kicking-" I cut her off with a hand,

"Thank you Dr. Obvious," She laughed, I closed my eyes and pictured myself being weightless, and a remarkable thing happened it worked, I opened my eyes and grabbed Vernita's hand. She screamed, and I pulled her up so my arms were wrapped around her stomach. She squirmed, and I kicked her in the foot. She yelped and gave me a dirty look; I seriously was freaking sick of the girl. She was making my day bounce with an annoying beat. We flew across the gleaming city; it shined in the golden rays of sunlight.

The Empire State Building was towering over the city like a giant, it was like a castle. Vernita whimpered softly, a small thrill ran through my veins, she must have felt it too. I flew down to the ground, a woman shrieking as we landed I rolled my eyes, stupid humans. I grasped the bronze door that opened to a wide plain lobby. A man with a velvet green hat and a crossed velvet suit looked up from a desk. At the look of me, he gulped.

"What do you want?" I looked down; bird poop was splattered against my lean arms. I laughed, and felt my hair; a pigeon feather was resting in it. Vernita looked disgusted; she gave me a look full of vileness and then turned to the doorman. I slid my sword out, he gulped. Vernita touched him, her eyes were a soothing blue, and the man looked a great deal calmer.

"The 600th floor," She said gently, and then as she released him he looked a little dazed then nodded. His eyes darted to the elevator it opened and a man and a woman both wearing formal suits, the woman a grey skirt, they both jumped at my appearance I growled at them and they skittered away it made me laugh at their frightened expressions.

"Well are you coming young man?" The doorman asked me, I smirked then followed him to the elevator. The shaft was a brass color and it went up at lightening speed. Then it felt as if we were lifting off of the world, when we reached 550, my stomach gave a lurch and Vernita cried out as it shook violently. Then as quickly it started, it ended, we had finally reached the floor. The brass doors opened and out we stepped and into a whole other universe.

Clouds surrounded a golden and marble city. Buildings as grand as the Coliseum were stretched as far as the eye could see, green silky vines wrapped around grand arches leading into beautiful and vast gardens. Large mansions were made of marble an artfully sculpted god placed in front of each one, each made with a fine material. When we came to Apollo's mansion, Vernita touched the golden brick that gleamed in the sunlight, "He hasn't answered…" She whispered, I didn't know what to do to comfort her so I moved on. We reached a beautiful lake and in the middle a temple emerged with green seaweed wrapped around the algified marble. We were nearing, but a bitter fear was gripping my stomach, because the fact that we were only two demigods no match compared to the gods, but the fact that no one answered and Olympus despite the beautiful sunshine that shimmered upon everything making the atmosphere seem warm was almost cold and dead.

Perhaps the grandest mansion of all was pressed upon a cloud that floated as if weightless as a feather. Tall beautiful grand arches leading to a garden that was coursed with beautiful flowers, and across a tiny creek was a masterpiece of work, the mansion was made out of sparkling ivory marble. It looked cold and a glassy in the small round orbs the sun sparkled around it. Two dragons were chained to the marble columns, if Jupiter was here then Minerva had to be somewhere near, she wouldn't stray.

We walked down the fluffy carved cloud pavement. We reached a great library with a small arched door, I knew by an instant it was Minerva's mansion. I touched the door, and it squeaked open revealing a vast hall filled to the sky with endless supply of books. All titles in Greek, something I could never understand for my ADHD and dyslexia made it nearly impossible for me to read…anything for that matter.

Vernita was holding onto my arm, I could feel small tremors vibrating through her. She was scared, and as much as I wanted her to let go on my arm, I let her. I didn't like girls who clung, I couldn't deal with it. I saw a small door was opened and an owl flew out of it. He sat on a perch on a bookshelf, blinked, and then flew away back to the room it had come from.

"Do you think it wants us to follow it?" I asked, Vernita straightened herself and stepped bravely toward the warm light extending past the crack of the opened door. Then she looked back at me a determined face set on her, my heart pounded, I stepped behind her and we quietly fled into the room.

It was a round circular room, desks cluttered with everything to books to helmets for war. A light shined on one particular desk papers stacked to the top of the desk arch, were written in all sorts of languages and handwriting. The owl was perched on a golden stub arched off the wall, it looked out onto a garden where olive trees were large and growing. Tiny golden vegetables grew from the firm branches. The owl cooed and then turned its head to a darkened room at the end of the office. We walked into the room, a sobbing so heart breaking filled our ears.

A lump lay on a floor, drapes closed over open windows and the sun fighting to spread gold light into the room. The lump shook, and I identified it as a woman. Whether it was Minerva or not I questioned. The owl flew in and landed on the bed post, I looked over to find the covers were tossed and disoriented as if thrown in different positions. It crooned over her gently, she looked up, and in the dim light of the room I caught a glimpse of sodden rocky grey eyes. It was Minerva; she reached out and petted the bird's silky feathers.

"Why have you come demigods? Is it to ask of a quest because, I am lost… I do not seek, for my words will be lost no matter where I assert them." Even in her most sorrowful voice her conversations were still hard to understand.

"My-my lady," Vernita began, but Minerva stopped her and with a wave of her hand bronze torches lit up with an igniting flame. "We want t-to draw a favor of y-you." Vernita spoke bravely, despite the goddess's lackluster, forlorn, and desolate face.

"If you have a favor, ask of it, but I'm as broken as the toy the child breaks." Vernita knelt down next to the goddess she looked into the ancient beautiful grey eyes, and then smiled.

"My goddess, if we hurt, we will not stay. But my question to you is why do you squander on the floor? You are Athena, not the silly teenage girl who cries over a broken heart." Her tone was questionable, but also had an edge of sympathy.

"I cry because, my children need me… They cry out to me when they die, they give-give their lives to me…" She broke off and a gut wrenching sob of a small girl made my stomach squirm, "I can't do anything for them, Zeus, being the ignorant fool he is not letting them into my palace! Not letting me reach out to them, not letting me save them!" She had turned angry and an unearthly blue had started to drift around her, she turned to me, her eyes lingered on me, then on the golden necklace around my neck.

"Min-I mean Athena, my lady of knowledge, we need your help… My sister has been taken, and if I'm right you know exactly who I am. You made these necklaces didn't you? This one right here, you created to protect us from Hades and who's the creep that's after me now. You saved my mother when she was in need of a friend; you made Jupiter come and give my mother the gift of children, so she would not go mad. Well anyway, I'm supposed to complete this quest on the evening of the autumn equinox, and there's a prophecy that goes with it. And that my lady is when you must help us with." I unrolled the scroll and gave it to her, her body went ridged. Then she got up and walked to a window, she pulled on a small golden dirty tassel on the side and a sort of scene played out on the bright window. One of a bloody, dirty battle and the last picture a golden chair surrounded by the gods empty. "Temus, had risen." Was the only thing Minerva said to my question.


	8. Chapter 8

Silence fell; I looked to Vernita shock was on her face. Minerva looked at the brightly glowing window; sunlight was filling the room like a tank filling with water. I tried to get Minerva's attention by clearing my throat, but it was not to be. She was stuck in her own world, Vernita started to tug on her ponytail. I spoke boldly; the name had sent a chill in my spine.

"My lady, who is this "Temus", you speak of?" She laughed; one of those laughs that chill you to the bone, one of those laughs that can dig down deep into your soul and wrench you into a bitter reality.

"Temus, the titan… Cronos's worse enemy, more powerful then Cronos ever was. To understand the titan, you must understand he was misunderstood and his ideas were never considered. Never to be surfaced in his brother's face, and by his brother I mean Cronos. This demigod, which I am about to unravel to you will be one of the most secretive but most dangerous stories of all time. It all began with the tiny break in the universe, which the clouds parted and a small clump was gathered and a babe was born from it. He burst from the clouds creating a significant and very large plain that was known as the sky.

"Temus grew older living in the shadows while his brother made the world what it is, aligning the stars and creating the gorgeous world we live and walk on. He never thought of himself as anything special, always quiet and caring was his way in life. When he reached the age of "teen" I guess you could say, he was naturally upset by a stunt Cronos posed, the joining with Gaia. Temus, always the wiser of the two was burdened by this problem wondering why he felt that his heart was beating in a new way when Gaia was around. He was in love with her…as he found out, and wanted to earn Gaia's heart. But it was not to be, Cronos and Gaia gave birth to the first gods, your father Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera.

"I'm sure both of you know the story of the trickery of Cronos, well it was Temus' idea to make him swallow the puking drink, after that Zeus praised Temus and Gaia did too. For awhile all was well in Olympus, until the day of the sleep of Gaia. When Gaia was awake she caused destruction of the planet, and while she was asleep peace was better sported. So, in order to save Zeus's chosen people, the Greeks, he made Pan and Apollo write the sweetest lullaby and create an almost deep enough sleep to make Gaia sleep for almost to the end of the world. But Zeus has never spoken of this to anyone besides Hestia, who we all know he favors." She made a face of disgust,

"_But _Hestia told me so…moving on, Gaia fell asleep and Temus as angry as ever for putting the love of his life to sleep for almost eternity he let the anger out of himself, thus creating evil and chaos. Thus, creating the three realms of my father and uncles, Zeus the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the dead. Temus was forever angry and when the first Titan War emerged Temus put Cronos's end quick so he could kill Zeus. But Zeus was quick as well, and hosted a spell onto Temus casting him into Tartarus where he would forever stay with his unbreakable chains. Temus was never spoken of since, but maybe the second Titan War caused a break in his spell, and he managed to surface enough force to get out of the chains. I must alarm Zeus, demigods I advise you to go back to Camp Half Blood, you are safest there. Thilo, Temus wants you dead do not let him do that, the fate of the world rests of your shoulders and the beating heart of yours." She ran out of the dreary bed room and out of the mansion. The owl had flown out behind her.

I looked to Vernita, she had a scared look in her eyes. Great the world rests on my shoulders…wonderful! And I'm not going back to Camp Half Blood, and by the look on Vernita's face she's not either. We walk out of Minerva's mansion; an unsettled cloud is forming over Jupiter's mansion. Minerva must have told him about Temus, so Temus was the shadowy figure who had tried to kill me. Why hadn't Minerva told me why he wanted me dead in cold blood?

"Thilo, look!" I awoke from my stupor of thought and saw the gates of Olympus were starting to shake, I backed up then they flew open. A cold bitter wind whipped through my hair, Vernita screamed. We flew back with such a force I hit a boulder. I heard the loud crack of my skull on the rock, black dots danced across my vision. I pushed them away, and felt a warm sticky feeling on the back of my head. Blood. The sky grew dark and a blue strike of lightening bended towards my heart, I swear it almost touched me. A shadowy figure twirled from black smoke, and a smell so bitter and fierce in punched into my lagged eyesight, my eyes watering even more. Temus had come.

I tried to get up and follow Vernita towards Jupiter's mansion, but I couldn't my legs were tired…I was about to give up when a spark flew to my weak mind, _Thilo! _There she was, Green Eyed Angel in all her glory brunette hair flying out behind her, she made me want to live, she made me want to fight, she made me want to cut the head off Temus and toss him into Tartarus. I flew upward, and soared to the mansion. The doors flung open and I was welcomed into the house, my vision was blurring in and out of focus.

Vernita stood her hands clutching her elbows. Her blue eyes met my own, but they were soft and I could see all her anger and hatred towards me was gone, now only worry and fear. I fell onto the hardwood floor, or was it marble? I don't know…my mind was spinning, my eyes drooping and soon all was gone.

_She laughed, and I wanted to laugh with her but I couldn't bring myself to. Her green eyes met mine; those amazing green eyes that could make my heart flutter and crumple into my stomach making me fall under her spell. She was my angel, my savior, and everything I could ever ask for. But the thing was she was mine… She took my hand, and held it, warmth spread throughout my body and I was hypnotized under her gaze. But soon all laughter was off her face, and I tried to get her to smile again but she wouldn't. She let go of my hand, and a name came to my lips as she let out a sob of so much sorrow and sadness. _Penelope. _The name of my savior, and the name of my soul, she had written in onto me, she owned my heart. I was her property, and now she knew it. _

_ "You can't stay," She whispered so softly, that it was almost as if her voice would shatter the beauty of the meadow around us. "I'm sorry Thilo, but your father calls. Thilo..." Her voice was fading and so was paradise, pain ripped into my heart, _

_ "No!" I cried out, my mind going blank. What to say to make her stay? _

_ "Thilo, listen to me, the golden boy he's an s…" She called to me, her voice now a faint call of urgency. I shouted to her, cried to her, and almost immediately she was gone… _

The world that I awoke to was bleak, and my head ached horribly. Soft tones erupted into my ears, making the headache in the back of my head ten times worse. It seemed someone had taken a giant jack hammer and drilled straight into it. I didn't open my eyes, for I feared I would alarm those around me, and I just didn't feel well enough just yet to open my eyes.

"He's your son, Zeus!" A woman's voice cried out, it was filled with such intensity and sadness it made me feel a sting in my heart, like Penelope had left me.

"He is no son of mine if he erupts the peace we have here! And besides, he does not pray to me, so why should I give him the protection against Temus? Why is he any different then the other haughty hero's of yesterday? How is he not? Answer that Hestia." The voice was powerful, and sent a warming feeling through my veins. I almost wanted to know who it was, it was almost as if I knew, but I couldn't remember everything was a fuzzy blur, but Penelope.

"Zeus, listen to yourself! Your own son Jason, the one that you "favored" is now some where in San Francisco, most likely GreyStone…fighting for you. And here is your other son, trying to please you and defeat these horrible curses you have inflicted upon him, making me want to kill him, I don't like holding grudges but his great uncle really was a bigot." A calming voice of a male said that, but the name sparked something in the back of my head, Neptune… NEPTUNE! CRAP HE WANTS ME DEAD! I leapt to my feet, eyes opened and sword out. A laugh was unleashed and startled looks, a grand laugh.

"Relax Thilo, I don't want you dead…well not today anyway." Neptune smiled, but anger was held in his eyes. I knew it was directed at me, I turned and saw Vernita huddled in a corner her eyes scared and frightened. She was so small and innocent, not belonging here. She was not the one the gods wanted, it was I.

"I'm sorry, Father." I bowed to Jupiter's feet. He looked down at me,

"Why do you apologize?" His voice was grand, and almost wise.

"Because, I have interfered with obvious important affairs, and for that I'm sorry. I brought my friend, Vernita up here as well and brought danger upon her. I even thought that maybe, I would get your blessing…but I know that was a ridiculous wish. I also hoped to achieve answers from Minerva." Jupiter's blue eyes were angered, but in a way they were sad, and caring. He sighed and looked down, wiping away a smudge on his suit.

"Thilo, we can't know something until we try? Can we? You did the thing I do best; pry into something that isn't yours to know. And in that way, I respect you. But that does not let you off the hook, that easily. You have entered Olympus and have not even stopped by to see your father." He had a hint of smile on his face; I gave a grave smile back. But the pain was slowly coming back, and it sagged back into a neutral position.

"I was wrong to ignore you sir. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you a question. Temus is involved with this prophecy that was from Great Uncle Thilo, he was supposed to complete it but he didn't you killed him off." A stony expression came over Jupiter's face. "I have a question if this means anything to you." I handed Jupiter the tiny golden scroll, he unrolled it. His eyes swiftly moved across the page, and then his face lifted up. He handed the scroll to Mercury who was drifting a little above the ground, Mercury glanced at it then his eyes widened.

"It's me! Well I always Manitoba was my favorite city of all gotta love those Manitobans." He gave me a small smile, and excitement frilled up inside of me.

"That's you, the golden boy is you!" I lunged and touched Mercury's head. Mercury's eyes narrowed, then he looked down at me. "Sorry I-uh…" I trailed off, and then Mercury laughed.

"Your so much like Dad, anyway I was saying the golden boy is me as a statue. Canada, the Legion of Manitoba. They built the statue of me on the roof top of the legislative building. I'm referred to the, "Golden Boy"." I smiled,

"Thanks sir, well we must be going." I grabbed Vernita's hand and I pushed on the doors. They didn't budge; I turned around and glared at Jupiter.

"Yes sir?" He smiled at Venus. She laughed then brushed a long lock of red away from her face. Then she smiled at me, I was dazzled by her beauty and for a second under her spell. Then Vernita stepped on my foot rather loudly, I turned to her and gave her a dirty look.

"Penelope is a free spirit." She whispered in a silky voice. The gods gave a chuckle, and my face went red. How did they know about Penelope? We stepped out the door, and the fierce wind had parted and a cloudless midnight blue sky was out. Vernita looked downtrodden for a second, and then she looked up.

"So Canada ey?" I laughed, and then kicked a rock with my foot. My tennis shoes were so beat up you could start to see holes poking their way through all five toes.

"Yeah that's what I say, ey! Well come on, if we want to get there by fall we better hurry." Vernita yawned,

"Can't we go back to Camp Half Blood, then head on out over the Hudson; I think it would lead there." I paused to think about it, and then threw a rock at her. She shrieked out in surprise and pain,

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" I gave a shrug,

"For kicking me earlier, and yeah I suppose so." She ran at me, I ducked and she fell to the dried grass. She flipped upwards and pulled out the flute, and then she blew a note into it. It elongated into a beautiful bronze sword, the handle was engraved with the name, _Armonia._ Then with full force she ran at me, I swiftly pulled out my own sword and blocked. She looked up from the tops of her eyes, and then she swiftly jabbed in the other direction, I was a quick thinker when it came to swords and knew what she was going to do. She was going to pull a Fake. She quickly turned the other direction, and I slammed her to the ground, and my sword tilted into her neck by a millimeter. A droplet of blood came from the point. "Pull that stunt again and it will be your head." I pulled my sword into my sheaf; Vernita sat up and wiped the cut on her neck.

"You're a real dickhead you realize that?" She huffed in desperation; she obviously wasn't used to being tossed around.

"No I think you're just used to being set a tea table for three with your brother. Things don't work out that way for me, Vernita. I fight and I fight, and I accuse. Don't take it to heart, but if you try to slice me again it's going to be worse then that. Your skills aren't bad, but you suck at blocking." I walked towards the gates, she stood dumbfounded.

"Norika was right; you are a pretty good fighter." I turned to her, and looked at her straight in the eye.

"I think I'm a bit better then pretty good, wouldn't you say?" I turned and walked on, I opened a gate. The clouds hovered beneath my feet; it was a sheer drop of a little over five-hundred feet. I closed my eyes feeling weightless and floated; I grabbed Vernita's hand and pulled her against my chest. Then we dove, the wind piercing my eyes making them blurry and watery. Vernita's hair flew back in my eyes, I blinked rapidly to get it away, but the hair kept flying upward. It was positively irritating. We landed in the middle of a street, Vernita screamed as a car came speeding around the corner. I swept her up and pushed her onto the sidewalk, her blue eyes met mine.

"That's what I meant when I said you need to work on your blockage." I punched her in the arm and walked on, but Vernita was breathless, and I, was secretly a little myself.


	9. Chapter 9

I slept badly that night; my head was pounding with thoughts and dreams of Penelope. But every time I tried to approach her she would cry out and be gone, then Temus was would swirl from his black smoke and he would stand before me. My sword didn't exist and I couldn't kill him, Norika lay on the ground at his feet, his black robes covering her face. But I saw her beautiful golden hair was leaking out from the bottom of his robes. When I pushed it away, she lay blank and broken. I would fall to my knees and beg for Temus to kill me, but he never did. He would stand and laugh, it was metallic and cold. Almost like swords scraping against each other, and that _ding! _that runs through you like a bell. I would wake with a jolt, breathing heavily and scared. My heart pounding within my chest, banging against it like a bug in an empty bucket.

When the first signs of dawn had started to break through the chained grey sky, I threw back the covers. Slipping on my shirt, and crept through the darkened camp it was silent. But silence was what I wanted, and it was what my heart screamed. I slid down onto the damp sand of the beach, Temus…what could I possibly do against a titan? I was one freakin' kid against a massive tool of destruction, the guy who created the sky. How? I needed the question ridded from my mind, and also the other fact of Canada lay on my mind. How would I get the prophecy done? The "golden boy" was Mercury that much was obvious. Then how in the world could I have flown yesterday? I levitated! What the hell voodoo shit was that! I must be smoking something, or my mind is starting to turn into a freak show.

The waves were slowly turning and my heart went out to Neptune, he probably missed Norika as much as I did. Was there the possibility I would let him give her children? I don't think so. Our uncle hitting on my sister? I don't know so much about that… But then again, my dad was also my grandfather and my great grandfather. That's a little disturbing…

"Thilo? What the hell are you," a yawn, "are you doing?" The voice was thick with sleep, but I could tell exactly who it was. I turned my head and saw Vernita wrapped in a baggy sweatshirt and two very large bunny slippers fit on her feet.

"I-I guess I just needed to think… You know, wrap my head around some stuff." I thought she would laugh, but she didn't she looked at me. Those bluer then blue eyes staring right at me, she just walked over to me and sat down. She wrapped her arms around her knees, and put her head on top of her legs. Then she sighed,

"Norika… I had only known her for a few days. But Thilo, I felt like we had been best friends for…for a really long time. Staring at the sky right now, it kinda makes me think of her…ya know? Like there's hope, just thinking about her though… I guess it just makes me so determined to do something to get her back. And I have a feeling, that you and me…I think we can save the world. It's nothing I haven't done before." She smiled and I smiled back, something about that smile made me want to smile back. We sat there for awhile, and then I nudged her and she nodded. Vernita jogged towards the direction to the Apollo cabin. I looked once more at the lightening sky. I would get Norika back if it truly was the last thing I did.

Vernita met me by the docks, she looked nervous but she held her bag very tightly. She gave me a small but scared smile as I approached the boat. Her hair was in a tight braid down her back, but the usual bang that hung out of her hair was laid onto her flawless forehead. She twisted her fingers around the small rope like necklace around her neck; it had tiny beads in it. Each had a tiny little picture painted onto it, as if by instinct my hand instinctively went to my chain, as I touched it I was shocked. Red hot anger boiled through me, and I stomped my foot.

"Damn it!" I screamed, "What the hell Dad!" I screamed at the sky, it never answered. Vernita gave me a look that read, really-you-idiot-you-have-to-make-another-scene. I growled in the back of my throat,

"Come on you idiot, you better pray to Poseidon so he doesn't blast your butt off when we get into the water." I looked at her with mild interest,

"I'm not praying to him." I said through gritted teeth, "He tried to kill me more then a few times, why should I pray to that ass-wipe of a god." Vernita's eyes widened and she looked quickly the water; it was beginning to erupt angrily. I narrowed my eyes to angry slits at it, and then I did the most horrible thing you could do to a god's realm. I shaped my mouth to a slant, then without much effort spit onto the clear surface. The bubbles suddenly began to form into a round creature,

"Thilo! YOU IDIOT!" Vernita cried, then she ran up the shore, but I couldn't move the bubbles were beginning to create a facial look. Then in the blink of an eye the creature rose up, and sat straight on the water. It was a lion, made of spit. Talk about nasty. But then I realized it wasn't a lion, it quickly changed into a maiden. She stood towering to me, and I realized it was a nymph. She walked to me, her skin taking on a watery shade of white. Then her whipping blond-white hair reached out to me like snakes, but her eyes remained the color of spit, clear and bubbles flew around inside.

"Thilo Leige you have insulted my god, do you know the punishment of such a fault you have given into?" She looked at me her tall slim body was waving like she was a plant flickering in the wind, freak. I gave her my best smart-ass look, and then swallowed the small fear that had begun to form in the back of my throat.

"Yeah, Neptune's probably going to try to cut my head off or something. Or, or, I got a better one he'll go tattle to my daddy about how bad I'm being, because Neptune can't get his ass up here himself. He has to make his creepy spit-lady come out of the water and try to make me cry on my knees. Well I got news for ya honey; I ain't one to wallow on my knees." (Okay the last four seconds of my life, probably not the smartest thing that I've ever said…) The nymph got this look on her face, now four seconds ago it wouldn't have really scared me. But the look was filled with so much power and hatred; she seriously looked majorly P-I-S-S-E-D off. Her fierce and harsh features started to narrow, but it almost made her look pretty…EW did I seriously just say, a woman that just made my spit do that, pretty? Gods I must be going insane.

"Death is one way to go Thilo, but another way is the wrath of Poseidon." Oh crap, did she just say the wrath of Poseidon. Oh crap, now I did. _Come on Dad; don't let my ass get fried off here._ I stared right into her eyes,

"Then bring it on spit-ball!" I slipped my sword out and held my stance; she tilted her head back and laughed. When her head went back into place, it was filled with so much anger. I backed away slowly,

"As you wish…Son of Zeus." She opened her palm and a swarming swirling ball of water that looked as powerful as Neptune's trident. She hurled it at me, my heart racing and my body reflexively made me roll quickly out of the way. She laughed, it reminded me of a laugh you hear from someone far away in the distance. Again she threw a water ball, as it spattered out forms began to take shape. Monsters. Large fanged and sharp-clawed creatures, oh and big surprise they wanted me dead.

I swung around slashing; I felt the claws of a monster dig into my chest. I gasped out in pain, and then Vernita screamed. "Thilo!" I heard it; it was like a sound of beauty. But so much pain and suffering was tied into it. The note came from Vernita. The nymph turned her head as well did I. Vernita stood there shocked as me, and the monsters started slowly to deteriorate, the water throughout their bodies slopped out onto the wet wood. The nymph glanced slowly at me and Vernita let out the note again, and the nymph growled. Or…gurgled?

"I will be back Son of Zeus. When the Doxa Child is not with you." I looked at her odd, _doxa_? But when I got a good glimpse of her she was gone. I turned and looked at Vernita…but she wasn't Vernita. She was this…this…beautiful woman. Her dark brown hair usually pulled up or tied in a braid was hung in long shades of dark sleek locks. Her eyes glittered with a spectacular look of joy and pride. Her features were sharply defined, almost as if her beauty was harsh. I couldn't make myself take my eyes off her own, she stepped forward giving me a look of pure anger. As she came forth a rippling fine silk dress was woven around her body. It was the color of wheat with golden swirls that surrounded the hem.

"You idiot." But she laughed, and my heart gave a thud of joy. "What are you staring at?" My throat was tight, but I managed to pull out a word.

"You." She gave me a puzzled look and walked to the edge of the dock where I stood, and looked in. Her beautiful reflection shimmered up at her; she gasped and dropped the sword she had been holding. "Y-you look like a girl." I teased as best I could. She looked up and then held my gaze then broke down and punched my arm.

"I don't have time to figure out what it means, autumn's coming. You know what that means, Boy of the Spit." I rolled my eyes and followed after her to the docks, she leaped down and violent waves erupted as I stepped into the small motor boat. I ignored them and glanced up into the sunlight, it was going to be one of those days that made you wonder why the hell you saving the world? So we started up the Hudson, hoping to get to out of the country by morning.

The boat was rocked violently, I knew it was Neptune. Who else could it be, but with Vernita in the boat with me I figured he was holding back from really trying to kill me. As soon as we passed the New York Harbor, I felt my heart start to pound. We were really going to do this…we were really going to fight Temus. As the sky grew from the beautiful crisp royal blue it had been, it started to move into an afternoon endless blue. I saw dark creatures moving under the boat, knowing eventually they would come and attack us.

Vernita flipped her hair back pulling it into her glossy ponytail, but the second she did so it flopped right back out. I laughed at her attempts; she shot me a glare of such hate I back down. She pressed one foot on the rim of the boat and I swear, the sun glimmered around her like an angel. I looked away, what was happening to me?

We sailed threw the turbulent waters until both our stomachs growled in hunger. "Well, any ideas for food?" Vernita hesitantly said, I shook my head. She sighed and started to strip,

"WHOA! NO! Vernita, we don't need to do that _right _now. Heheh, but don't get me wrong, I would love to." She blinked and rolled her eyes, and continued. Totally ignoring me, classic Vernita.

"You idiot, I'm going swimming and I don't really feel like having my clothes drenched." Then something snapped in my brain,

"No! You can't go into the water." She gave me a god's awful look of distaste.

"And why ever may I not?" She added a bad English accent to that,

"Because Neptune's going to take you away from me too! Don't do it to me, please. It's me he wants, and if you get taken I don't know what I'll fucking do with my life." I look down, flush creeping into my cheeks. She sat down on the floor of the boat next to me. Laying a gentle hand on my arm,

"I'm not going to be taken; you think I can't do these things Thilo. I'm a lot stronger then I look." Our eyes locked, and once more I was lost in those amazing blue eyes. I nodded, unable to speak out loud. She got up and pulled off her shorts, showing just her undergarments. Vernita gave me one last look and then plunged into the water; I watched her pale body disappear into the dirty water. She bobbed back up for a second and dived back under. Vernita did that numerous times before finally staying afloat; she threw two silver fish into the boat. Bloody holes ran in the middle of them, a second later she threw her sword into the boat. That too was tipped with blood, she leapt into the boat, making it rock violently. Her breath came out in gasping breaths, as she looked at my sliced T-shirt, where the demon had ripped into my skin.

"Are you alright?" I nodded and held her gaze, "What no annoying comment about how I can't fish?" She shakes her head, and when I don't answer she starts to freak out. "Thilo! What's the matter?" She practically yelps, her eyes showing fear and unnerved feelings.

"You saved me… Why?" She looked at me, and I knew I caught her off guard.

"I panicked; I mean you had no idea what you were up against. I had to save you. It was like something spawned inside of me… Something so deep and great I just let it out, and the music came out. All I knew was I had to save your sorry ass and it worked." She smiled, but I saw the glimmer in her eyes that still held her worry. I grabbed the fish and with my knife made a fast cut movement, slicing into the fish's head and into the skin. It made a soft _slash _sound.

We were silent till the night touched the sun and then we were alone only with the darkness and the moon as our guide. Although both of us were exhausted we continued on, and my chest was starting to scab. The four long scratches were raked across me. Vernita saw me picking at the scab, "Don't." She went to her bag and pulled out a small vile, she dabbed some of the liquid onto her palms. "Lay back." Those eyes caught me again off guard, as if I was under her spell I laid back. She touched the reddened scratches, I winced under her touch. She slowly began to soothingly rub around the inflamed scars. Her touch was so gentle and relaxing, my eyes were so heavy. The more I blinked the harder it was to keep them open, but I wanted to keep looking at Vernita. She looked at me, and moved her gentle touch moved to my eyes. Slowly closing them and as she did, the darkness that had eagerly been awaiting me triumphed and I fell asleep with her gentle touch still caressing my chest. 


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay so I'm giving you what I hope is a little inspiration, but I want you guys before reading the rest of my chapters and type in park0urfreak, he's this amazing youtuber who has the best epic songs, and I think if you listen you can tell why my stories have a lot of action**** Music is a big part of my writing life so listen to these songs and be prepared to have your socks blown off! –F.H **

Traveling through the lukewarm climate of Canada wasn't bad; the sun had touched the dense and pristine forest like a veil. The salmon leapt out of the water in order to reach the North. Their bodies shimmering in the sun, I stabbed a few with my sword. Throwing them into the boat, staying hidden from Black bears was another thing. Since many had cubs, mothers were extremely protective. Males were ornery to territory as we crossed Ontario, taking small rivers to get through it quickly. I noticed our fuel gage read near empty, if we didn't stop soon it would die on us.

We came to a small bait shop in the middle of the forest, and yes I know what you're going to say: "Two demigods, going into a bait shop in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, could they be any stupider?" But at the time neither of us had gotten that much sleep in the past few days, and well I kind of wanted beef jerky…

I went in first and was greeted by the sight of an ugly man. His face distorted, his eyes were going either which way besides normal, and his skin sagged like an empty bag. "Hello there, you two. What can I do for you?" Vernita grabbed a gallon of fuel that was stacked on the side of the small shack. She dropped it hard on the counter, making the whole shack shake it seemed. Her face a mask of expression and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do.

"This please." Her polkerface showed no expression, how the hell was she doing that?

"Well you see, I would let you pass but... Then again trolls were never appreciated in your past." His smile was pure evil and the saggy skin was starting to tighten and stretch.

"Ah Hell no!" I hollered, Vernita moved with such grace and agility it was insane. She put a hand in front of my charging body, stopping me in my tracks. "Vernita fuck off!" I growled, but she didn't even flinch at my most threatening force, she didn't even budge. Her face so calm and expressionless, the troll was forming tall. Towering five feet normally then a regular person, and his breath smelled worse then dragon breath…and that my friend, is really hard to beat.

"SON OF ZEUS!" He exploded; I slipped my arms around Vernita and heaving her with all my force across the room. I couldn't look at her when her body slumped on the floor…I couldn't. I turned my gaze to Trollman, and then screamed and threw myself at him. Hurling my sword into his leg, he screeched in pain and fell to the ground. Blood of the monster spewed across the wooden floor. I changed course and leaped onto the counter, planning on slicing into his chest with my sword. But if you've ever fought a troll well then keep in mind, their special…you'll see what I mean in a second.

He sprang up with the speed on a cheetah, lunging for my legs. He caught one; slicing into my calf muscle I bit into my lip. Then kicked straight up with my free one, and ignored the pouring blood from my left leg. The pain was excruciating but I had to continue. I slipped behind his back and went for the back of his head, and he laughed and glided gracefully away from me.

This was the thing I think that pissed me off… Although many things at that moment were making me extremely mad. "YOU ASSHOLE!" I screamed and went for him streaking into him with such a force; it wasn't possible from a normal demigod. I stabbed him in the stomach, he fell onto the ground. But a laugh rang from his mouth,

"You cannot kill me Son of Zeus, I am troll and as you have probably noticed we have amazing healing abilities." Leaping from the ground once more he jumped onto my back clawing into my back, I fell to the ground. As one of his dagger like fingernail claws dug into my neck.

"Leave him!" It a voice like no other… Oh, if I could describe the beauty and power coursing through it. If I could put words to the indescribable force of grace and fierceness I would. When I looked up, a light radiated around the most beautiful wild woman I had ever seen. Her face held high and nothing but magic was in her grasp.

"Goddess…. I-I did n-not know y-you were c-coming to s-see me today." Trollboy stuttered, she laughed. Then I knew… I knew it was _her_. Her laugh made her face lift up and glide through the air. Then it was brought down, and I saw an emotion in the eyes of this woman. Sadness. Grief. So much was nestled in those deep, dark, and vivid green eyes. She cocked her head and with the snap of her fingers, vines evolved and forced themselves around the troll's neck, he gulped and gasped for breath.

"I can take the life of you away, or I can restore it. Which do you chose, Tenn." It was even a question, it was a choice. A forced choice. But that still triggered the joke in my mind. The troll's name was ten? Heheh, ten.

"My lady," He gasped through her vines, "I would always ch-choose y-you!" He breathed; she released her grip and dropped her arm back to the sides of her hips. She stepped over lightly and shoved the troll off of me. For the first time I saw her. Her brilliant true self, real in the flesh, and right in front of me.

"You are the boy who my spirit now tells me has visited. You are the Son of Jupiter? Are you not?" The way she said my father's name made me feel so special to be in her presence.

"Yes my lady, I mean ma'am-I mean uh, Goddess, or uh-"

"Penelope, call me Penelope." Her eyes were gentle, despite the wild look of her face. Tattoos of rune designs ran all along the jaw line and her cheeks. Her hair flooded down her back like a cascading waterfall, twined around wild flowers. Queen's Ann's Lace and Yellow Tail, and the crown that dipped onto her forehead a jewel with a green crystal stuck inside. The gold glinted in the dim light of the shack. She smiled and it lit the whole face up, making my heart flutter. But something in the back of my mind called. Weak and suffocated. _Vernita_. I twisted my torso and saw her lying there so limp and broken. My heart gave out and all I could do was stare.

In the few days I had known her she had become my best friend. Then within the blink of an eye she was gone, I don't know how, but the next thing I knew I held her body in my arms. "She's not dead." I looked up and saw her staring at me, "Son of Jupiter, she's hurt. Hurt badly, but it is nothing my magic cannot do." She touched Vernita's pale face. For the most horrible, longest, and anticipated moment of my life she did nothing. A small noise was heard and I looked down, she was breathed in hard and then coughed. Her eyes opened wide and she looked at me, our eyes locked. I forgot about everything else, about Penelope, about Jupiter, about Temus, about the gods, and only knew one thing. Those eyes were my life, and I would do whatever it took to keep them locked on mine forever that way.

"You're bleeding." She said weakly, I smiled and laughed at her.

"It's a paper cut compared to losing you." We froze; ah shit did I seriously just say that? I cleared my throat and set her down gently, she walked around shakily. Penelope stood, her eyes were lighted. The sadness that had been in her eyes was mirrored in my own.

"You need to get to Manitoba, do you not?" We nodded she looked up to the sky. Out of the clouds came two beautiful pegasi. One silver and the other a frosted blond color, I looked to Penelope to give thanks. She smiled as if she had read my mind, "Do not think that since I have saved your life Thilo that the road will ease its rough and sharp-turned journey, for it will not." She stepped into a silver light that was forming and with the wave of a hand she was gone.

I looked to Vernita she shrugged, I walked over the Pegasus with the silver coat, and it flashed its teeth at me. "Yeah you definitely belong to me." I jumped on the stallion's back and leapt into the air. I turned back and saw Vernita was right behind me, I kept going afraid to break the moment's lasting. We flew through the long white clouds; the bitter winds of fall were starting to set in. The Autumn Equinox was in a month, I had to somehow fight Temus and complete the prophecy before then… Oh someone shoot me.

"There! Thilo! There it is! LOOK, LOOK!" I did and I saw him, the Golden Boy. He shined upon the legislative building, the grey light of the sun trying to break through the cloudy day it was. The Golden Boy was Mercury, flowing rich hair and mischievous eyes. He held the caduceus in one hand and his wings expanding over the endless stormy sky. Now here was the tricky part, how do we touch the thing?

"Vernita! I'm going to jump and climb onto his head, and if I disappear you do it too! Got it?" I yelled at her through the sky. She nodded, or at least I thought she nodded she seemed really stiff and nervous. I positioned myself on the Pegasus, starting to stand. As my knees came up and my arms spread across the back of the Pegasus I waited until I could jump better. Five…four…three…two…one…NOW! I leaped, only able to grab a ledge of the building. The mortar burned under my hand, "Ah shit!" Mercury had protected it by a wall.

"Thilo!" Vernita screamed above me, there was only a second before I would have to let go and the building stood above concrete. There was nothing for me to do; Mercury had placed a deadly shield around the Golden Boy, and the slate around it. "Thilo! GRAB MY HAND! Thilo!" She screamed, it had a bird-ish tint to it. Yet I felt that I had to look up at her, she extended her hand. If I took it she would go down too, she couldn't support me. "Thilo, trust me! You have to trust me!" I felt my hand aching, the mortar becoming too much to bare. I lifted a hand from the plaster and reached out for hers. She grasped it, and the silver Pegasus I had been riding swung underneath me. I looked at Vernita, she gestured to the Golden Boy.

"How are we going to get past his wall?" I called.

"Well Hermes was associated with thieves, travels, and Athena…" The last word caught me off guard,

"Minerva? Really?" **A/N: Hermes/Mercury never liked or loved Athena/Minerva; they kind of just had an acquaintanceship. **Vernita nodded then excitedly started bouncing on the back of her Pegasus.

"What if there's a riddle we have to solve!" I slapped my forehead, sometimes I didn't know about this chick.

"Vernita, I haven't been in school for six years! Get that through your dense skull!" She rolled her eyes,

"Riddles aren't hard you bozo." Then she dove, straight in pursuit of the wall, and of course I went right after her. She curved right around the building until she found it. The corner stone. "Built in 1920! Ah! That's it Thilo! Here remember this." She closed her eyes and when she opened her eyes she looked at me. "Ninety-one!" The Corner Stone started to turn and twist, the number racing past us. As it came to a stop Vernita leaned down and looked in the box. Nothing was in it besides a scrap of paper.

"Left is the babe's spire.

Around the bend will lay a hook.

The melody that was sung that no one heard must be tilted." **A/N: I know it's kind of obvious, but hey I was never really a riddle person! **

"Left? Thilo, look left and tell me what you see." Vernita kept her head down, her long silvery locks waved in the wind. I looked left and saw the highest tower ever. **A/N: Once again this is false information, I suck yes I know****. There really isn't a spire on the legislative building. The Golden Boy actually does stand upon the top, although there is still some dispute if he really is Hermes or Zeus. **"That's the babe's spire?" Vernita made her Pegasus dive upward and to the top of the tower she looked at it. Then she screamed in frustration, "Ug! Thilo get your ass up here!" I looked up at her and kicked into the flanks of the Pegasus, he neighed, obviously annoyed with the rude kick.

When I reached her, she pointed to a beautifully carved handprint. A tiny lightening bolt traced inside of it, I knew my hand was meant to be placed there, but I was scared. I know, I know, seriously dude? You're scared of placing your hand there? Man, that's sad. But I was, I mean try putting your hand on something you don't know anything of or would like to know of. I braced myself for a pain that was so hurtful, but it didn't come instead. When I touched it something happened, and a golden light formed a babe. With golden hair and skin like the sun, his eyes were a bright blue, and his strong but round cheeks showed the likeness of me in them.

"T-Thilo its Z-Zeus." Vernita stammered, I knew too the bright beautiful boy was my father. "What does it mean?" She asked, but I already knew. Jupiter had crowned Mercury atop a long gangly rock spire, when he was only a babe. Mercury had planned for the architecture to turn out this way, "Thilo!" Vernita shouted at me, I turned to her in a dazed automatic action. Around the bend will lay the hook… I turned around and flew around the corner of the building.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing was there, a flag pole. The Manitoban flag rippled in the wind. "Vernita, there's nothing here! It's just a stupid flag." Vernita cocked her head and then flew down closer. She tilted her head back and laughed,

"You idiot." I turned my head to look at her, "It's not just a flag pole, you have to-" Her fingers closed around the flag pole, then with a quick movement she pulled her hand back. "Ow! It's freaking shocked me!" I turned back to the flag, it shocked her? I twisted it upward and pulled it out, feeling a pulsing beat that wasn't my own heart. It chilled me but it gave me a surge of power. One the flag was out of the hook, I got to see what Vernita had been talking about. Around the bend will lay the hook.

It was…how do I describe it? Odd? Paranormal? The hook was inscribed with golden lettering. The words were not Greek or Latin, but the most peculiar thing about it was, it was shaped like a hand with feathers growing on the knuckles. Vernita inched closer to the hook, and studied the engraving.

"Our saisir la tête du garcon, le héros doit offrir le sang de son proper."** A/N: If you're wondering, that's French. You'll see why I chose that language later.** I looked closer and slowly the words came to my mind, like a memory that had been stowed away slowly rising to the surface. "To touch the boy's head, the hero must offer the blood of his own." I slipped a knife that had been hanging from Vernita's bag with such speed she didn't notice.

"Thilo! No I'll do it!" I looked up into those eyes, those beautiful languid eyes.

"No Vernita, this is something my father intended to happen. This was the fault my uncle never could do; he was weak-hearted and cared for no one but himself." I plunged the silver blade into my wrist, with a burning agony I dipped my palm towards the outstretched golden hand and the letters burned gold. The palm quenched and opened once more, and then a small piece of emerald colored paper creased from the bronze burning hand. I slipped my fingers under the paper, but shot back for a burning sensation erupted in my finger.

"Vernita it's your-" She waved me away and grabbed up the paper with a swift graceful movement. Then unrolled it her eyes widened in wonder. Awe was winded into the blue burning fires of her eyes and she looked up to the sky. She opened her mouth and no sound came out, then a translucent figure so beautiful whipped into Vernita's open mouth. I shielded my eyes from the great super nova light that flashed around her. She opened her eyes, and her blue eyes were like lamps. The inside lit to another shade of blue, and that to another. It was truly like an endless ocean.

"The melody that was sung that no one heard…must be tilted." She said simply. With that the wall broke and the shining head of the Golden Boy thrust itself upward. 


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Eminem is a musical genius! Haha, I love him alright well here ya go.**

Vernita was bathed in a shimmering bright light. She looked freakin' angelic! She finally looked up from her faze and looked right at me. Alright well I thought I had seen it all with this chick, but I hadn't. Her eyes were bright and burning with some kind of light. She had this piercing gaze and glorious smile in her face.

"Holy shit… Vernita what the Hell!" I said, it barely escaped my lips and she looked upward towards the gleaming statue of Mercury.

"Are you going to touch him or am I?" Her voice was calm and powerful. I gulped and climbed to the top of the building, clawing my way up. Then as I neared the top a small iron fence ran around the Golden Boy's statue. I climbed quickly over it and suddenly I felt fear coursing through me. What would happen? I reached up and pressed my palm over the smooth head of Mercury's head. Then a wind so powerful hit me and I was almost blown off the building. Vernita had climbed with the speed of a cheetah and grabbed onto my hand. She steadied me and looked down into the gaping hole beneath the statue.

"Gentleman first?" She suggested, I gave her a look. Then with a quick prayer to Jupiter I lunged, feet first into the long tunnel. Wind flew through my golden curls quickly animating the journey. As soon as the tunnel had begun it was over. As I landed I noticed I had come out of a wall made of pure marble. Almost tumbling straight into a granite statue of another boy. Vernita landed gracefully next to me her breathing was almost double… That was odd.

"Oh my gods… Thilo i-its…Phoenix!" The name rang a familiar bell in my mind, I tried to remember it from somewhere but I couldn't.

"Phoenix?" I asked dully,

"Lord of the Flame!" She gestured to the statue; I turned and looked finally at the towering statue above us. It glittered in the bright light, his skin was cracked, but you could tell he was chiseled perfectly. The fine lines of muscles still ran down his arms. His eyes seemed to glow with the light of the room, and his lips were opened revealing a few chipped teeth from the age of the statue. The beautiful hair was light feathers piled onto the boy's head, slim lines of gold danced through it as if to symbolize it had been golden. With in the boys hand was a finally painted feather, but the creepy part was, for as old as the statue was a vibrant color stood out like new. It was red, gold, orange, and yellow. It seemed to dance like the open ember of a fire.

"What are you kid's doing here, it's before visiting hours!" A voice behind us spoke, we twisted around. Vernita dropped to her knees, she started to frantically sob. I knelt down next to her, but she shook her head. Her face was sealed by the layers of glossy hair around her. "V-Vernita?" The man said, I finally looked up and saw why she had been sobbing.

"Apollo." I spoke; he gave a tired smile and knelt before his child. His eyes were filled with despair, and he pulled her into his arms. She sobbed into his old leather jacket; he looked like the picture of a caring father.

"My lord, where exactly are we?" I asked, studying the grand marble arching ceiling above us. The statues were sculpted much like Phoenix except for grander cracks and blisters to their faces. Apollo looked up,

"Athens, the Athens Museum of Art." He gestured to the boy that a second ago we had been looking at. "And that Thilo, is my son." Vernita pulled away,

"Will and I-I w-we c-called for y-you! W-we sang f-for you!" She yelled, getting up. She pushed her hair angrily out of her eyes, "I don't understand, why?" Apollo looked down, and then glanced around as if someone would come in at any moment.

"Zeus is scared of Gaia, and as are the rest of the other gods. Except for well Penelope." At the sound of her name I looked up, Vernita must have noticed because she flashed me a look.

"She's the reason he died!" Apollo seemed to flare at her words; he got up and walked over to his son's statue as if to get away from her. She wouldn't allow it that was the lovely horrible thing about Vernita, if you gave her something to do she wouldn't stop until it was done. "You don't seem too upset about his death!" Apollo stopped in his tracks turned and faced her,

"You don't understand Vernita, I came to peace with Penelope because Phoenix couldn't have lived without her. He had finally found someone he would give his life for!" They were both breathing hard, and glaring at each other. The flash of green light caught me off guard; a single leaf fell from the air. A green rubbery leafy cup filled with velvety soft white flowers rolled to the foot of Phoenix's statue.

I watched in dismay as the two of them bickered, I walked over to the statue of Phoenix. So this boy died for the girl I kind of was mesmerized by. Heh, I would do the same. The chick was hot as fire. _Thilo…find me… I cannot talk with them here… Find me. _I heard her, her soft sweet voice. I picked up the leaf cup and plucked out the flowers. A single piece of paper rested at the bottom.

With careful hands I tore the piece of paper from the grasp of the antennae at the bottom. I opened the paper, it read, "You are in Athens, find my temple." Faunus's temple then. I snuck around the bickering father and daughter and snuck out of the museum. The streets were not as one would expect, you'd think they were old and that old crumbling monument stood around. But no, modern technology was all around. Wide black sleek skyscrapers rose up and it appeared to be morning as the early morning sun was slinking over the skyline. I was immediately confused and the scenery even more confusing. If you looked right you would see a finely trimmed tree line along the side walk, and left there would be a grand statue of Julius Caesar. **A/N: WRONG! Julius Caesar was born in Rome, he was the ruler there! Don't let my unhistorical story feed your brain false information. **

Scratching my head with a questioned manner, I took off towards a few signs that read: Λέσχη Χορού Τερψιχόρης - Χορός Σαν Σήμερα Θεά I followed after them. I really have no idea why, probably because I'm an idiot. Like Vernita often says to me now, as the signs trailed further down the city street, the dirtier the city got. Until I reached a neon sign, it was written in English as well as Greek. The lettering was cursive and very loopy, but my ADHD twisted the words around. I entered it, what the hell was I thinking?

When I entered I saw dancers, beautiful woman moving around poles. Twisting there bodies around them, they were all skilled in the art. Some were my age… Others were how old a mother should have been. But in the center was a golden pole, a woman twisted around it, her feet arched as she climbed. She was obviously the most popular; men threw coins and cash at her. She tilted her head back and whipped her walnut colored hair back around her shoulders. Her eyelashes were ridiculously long, and seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the club's neon.

Greek skin covered her toned body, she was better then a model. She looked up at me and the color of her eyes. Reminded me of someone. Vernita. Her blue eyes were the exact same color of Vernita's, the same bluer then blue. The same jewel like shine and she smiled at me. I heard the burst open behind me, when I looked back. Vernita stood behind me; she looked dead on at the sexy lady.

"Terpsichore!" Every head and face turned to her commanding voice, the woman, Terpsichore looked upward. She smiled at Vernita as if she were an old friend,

"Hello child, your father tells me much about you." Her voice was silky and velvety. She slipped down from her pole and stood to a towering height of six feet. Her long legs were built for dancing; her slim claves were engraved with muscle. She stepped down from her table and walked to Vernita, twisting her silky bang around her finger.

"My, my, you are pretty. You sure have the looks to be the Doxa Child. But I'm not about to let you take my throne next to Apollo, I'm the fourth muse and I always will be. So unless my sweet you want me to kill you, well…" There it was again the word "doxa". I grabbed my sheath but Vernita stopped my hand. "Then again Vernita, you probably aren't her. She was her father's child raised on his knee, unless you were taken care of by the Great Lord, I doubt you are the one." She smiled so evilly, I was angered. Vernita stepped forward and her fierceness formed into an open light.

"But that's just the problem Terpsichore, I was." My mind went blank, Vernita was raised by Apollo? "You were destroyed by your own greed and yearning for self beauty." Vernita stated in a clear cut voice, "So my question to you is why you are down here rather then up where you should be?"

"Because," She said rather smugly, "Men give me all these things, they give me love, affection, and attention. I don't even ask for it, I just dance and suddenly they leap for my love. Why must I serve the Great Lord when I'm served here?"

Vernita was silent for a minute and then her eyes met Terpsichore's, "That was the pact Hermes made with my father, you would serve him. You promised in your own blood you would." Terpsichore had been gliding very slowly towards Vernita, and now she stood over her like a giant. With speed of a thief she held my neck around her elbow, a knife raised to my abdomen. Vernita's eyes got a frightened look in them, then as quick as it had come it was gone.

Oh no, this bitch was not about to hold me. I simply lifted up my leg and kicked. She screeched and a twisted scary look came about her face. Her face contorted into a monster. Vernita and I backed slowly away, I looked to my friend. "Thilo," She whispered, "It's me she wants, and you have to go." I turned to her and my heart clenched,

"No!" She shook her head, and I saw her wipe away a tear. "I'm not leaving you."

"You must Son of Jupiter. This battle is between the wretch and me." Terpsichore said her features now shrunken back to proud and haughty. I turned to face her,

"She'll destroy you, kill you and whatever she is she'll be much better then you." I said, Vernita smiled at me. In the desperate effort I was in, I pulled Vernita to me. Kissing her. It was the greatest feeling in the world, my hopes went soaring and the passion that was tied into it was absolutely perfect. Everything in me screamed for more of her, she pulled away and our eyes locked. I released her from my grasp and then we parted.

I slipped out into the busy Athens street, heading upward to the top of the intersection. My thoughts and mind all on Vernita, she was the one. I was almost positive because everything in my being screamed for more of her beauty, everything yearned for more. The sunlight was deadly and it stung my eyes, I pulled a hand up to shield my eyes. I reached an information center with a sign hanging over the door that read in Greek and English, thank gods.

A woman was standing behind the counter her face hidden behind a newspaper. I snatched a pamphlet off the counter, fairly certain the woman was too involved in her news story to see me. I slunk out of the shop, and opened the pamphlet. GREAT! It was in Greek, I had to go back in the shop. The woman still stood there, maybe she was death.

"Uh excuse me? Miss?" I asked, the woman looked up. "Uh…" Trying to run through my Greek vocabulary. "_Yasas_?" The woman smiled and shook her head,

"I speak Unglish." Her accent made it quite hard to understand what she said, I sighed out in relief THANK GODS!

"Can you direct me to Pan's shrine, temple thingy?" The woman cocked her head and shook out her long hair.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, _kyrie_." I shoved a hand through my gnarled and untamed curls. "Do you mean Penelope's shrine?" My head popped up, what the hell? I looked closer at the god, her face was a smirk. Her intricate lines only meant one thing, Trivia. Her face shifted as she twisted her head around.

"Yes, ma'am." She reached under and grabbed out a map, and a red marker. She circled a small building only about a block from the information center. "Thanks T-er I mean Hecate."

"Thilo," She added just as I was turning away, I turned to glance back at her, "Doxa means glory in Greek. Don't let go of hope for your friend, she is the one Zeus has chosen." I gave her a nod and was out the door and down the street. I ran at my top speed almost catching up to a car passing, I looked down at the map. Why the hell was it there? I stopped according to it I was standing right next to where the shrine should have been. I turned and looked at it, "Penelope's gotta be pissed." A public bathroom sat in front of me, a homeless guy scratching his butt walked out of it.

"Ew." I shook myself in disgust; I slunk into the dirty filth of the bathroom. A guy stood leaning against the wall, ear plugs hooked under his hoodie, and dark aviator sunglasses covered his eyes. I walked over to a urinal scowling down at the dirty floor. "You are very unobservant Thilo, learn to adapt to all your surroundings. Even the most beautiful ones may be deadly." A voice spoke behind me; I turned to look at the hooded boy. Only it wasn't it was the voice that made my heart start pounding. The hood dropped and she didn't look like…_her_. She was so plain. Yet so…godly. Her hair was pulled back away from her face and her dark green eyes shimmered, but none of it lighted to me it had when I had first met her in person.

"I don't look like the goddess you saw, do I?" I shook my head in wonder, "I'm not I'm in human form, much of the time I chose this over my godly form." I cocked my head,

"Penelope why?" She looked at the mirror, her solemn face stared back. I studied her and she looked back,

"For reasons that you will soon find out. Thilo I'm here to help you along the quest, the body…the body that the prophecy speaks of. I think it may be Phoenix…" Her voice choked and suddenly she fell to the ground, tears exploding to her green eyes. I knelt next to her and she sobbed, "He's...gone…" Her words were choked and she started to rock back and forth. She had utterly lost her mind; her eyes were crazed and unfocused. I pulled her into my arms, and like a dam had broken she went limp and cried. But it wasn't obnoxious sobbing; it was just her weight leaning against mine. She fit so…perfectly, it was almost hard to remember Vernita and the kiss we shared.

"I-It's all…all my fault!" I held her close, something inside of me begging she wouldn't come to her senses. But she did…five seconds later. She ripped past me so my arms were holding nothing, when I looked up at her green eyes were filled with blankness. "It doesn't matter anymore," She looked away and all traces of emotion gone from her face "all that does, is that you have to come with me. To Tarterus." My breathing stopped,

"Tarterus?"


End file.
